ANSV Investigation of Cessna 152 I-AMDC Incident at Arena Po

Incident Overview and Context On 27 May 2005, at 12:40 UTC (14:40 local time), a Cessna 152, registration I-AMDC, operated by Aero Club Biella, was involved in an accident at the Arena Po aviosuperficie in Pavia. The aircraft had departed from Biella airport for a training flight focused on takeoff and landing procedures on grass airfields. The flight crew consisted of a 54-year-old private pilot at the controls and a 62-year-old commercial pilot instructor acting as a support pilot, both holding valid medical certificates. ## Sequence of Events During the final approach to runway 21, the instructor observed utility poles for a medium-voltage power line positioned laterally near the runway threshold. Believing suspended cables were present, the instructor took control of the aircraft and executed a sharp pitch-up maneuver. It was later determined that the cables in the approach area were actually buried underground. After the abrupt maneuver, the instructor maintained control, assessed the situation, and decided to continue the descent rather than execute a go-around. The aircraft flared to recover speed and touched down on the grass runway. ## Outcome and Damage Following the landing, the aircraft bounced on the grass surface and continued its deceleration run beyond the end of the runway. It avoided a building located on the runway's extension but came to a stop after the left wingtip struck a pole at the boundary of the perimeter fence. Both pilots were uninjured. The aircraft sustained deformation of the left wing leading edge affecting at least four ribs, deformation of the dorsal skin behind the wing fuel tank, and a nick along the propeller leading edge. No other property damage was reported. ## Contributing Factors and Cause The investigation identified that the instructor had identified the power line late and, believing the aircraft was in immediate danger, performed a sudden, unplanned corrective maneuver that was not appropriate to the actual operational conditions. This action altered the descent trajectory and contributed to a loss of control during the landing phase. The accident was also attributed to the failure to conduct a thorough reconnaissance of the aviosuperficie prior to landing and to suboptimal coordination between the two pilots. The ANSV report did not issue any safety recommendations for this specific incident.