Event
On 4 August 2015 at 13:30 UTC, a Cessna 172S bearing registration I-GESP was landing on Runway 14 of the Fly Club airfield in Sabaudia, Italy. The aircraft had departed Ancona Falconara Airport at 11:19 UTC under a VFR flight plan. The approach was conducted via waypoints Maenza, Borgo Isonzo, and Bella Farnia, with a reconnaissance overflight of the airfield at 1000 feet. The pilot then positioned the aircraft in a right downwind leg for Runway 14 and configured for a full-flap landing.
According to ground marks and an eyewitness statement, touchdown occurred beyond the first third of the runway, at approximately midfield. The pilot was unable to stop the aircraft before the end of the runway. The aircraft overran, descended into a ravine immediately beyond Runway 32, and came to rest against trees. The four occupants (one pilot and three passengers) exited the aircraft uninjured.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The Cessna 172S is a single-engine, high-wing aircraft with a maximum takeoff mass (MTOM) of 2550 lbs. It is powered by a Lycoming IO-360-L2A engine producing 180 HP. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had accumulated 1144 hours and 41 minutes of flight time.
The pilot, a 24-year-old Italian male, held a Private Pilot License (A) issued in 2013 and a valid Class 1 medical certificate. He was rated for single-engine piston land aircraft. His total flight experience was 125 hours, including 30 hours on the Cessna 172. His most recent flight on a Cessna 172 was on 7 July 2015, and his last flight before the accident was on a PA-28 on 23 July 2015. The pilot was operating at Sabaudia for the first time.
Environmental Conditions
Witnesses at the airfield reported clear skies and calm wind at the time of the accident. METAR reports from nearby stations of Latina (14 NM away) and Pratica di Mare (30 NM away) for the relevant time period indicated wind from western directions at approximately 9 knots.
The Sabaudia airfield is a grass strip designated Runway 14/32, with a published length of 623 meters and width of 18 meters. However, the airfield's own planimetry indicated a runway length of 570 meters plus two 30-meter safety strips on each end, totaling 630 meters. Each third of the runway was marked by two aligned cones. Beyond both runway ends, the terrain drops off into deep ravines.
Investigation Findings
Examination of the accident site revealed ground marks consistent with a touchdown point approximately 400 meters from the beginning of Runway 14. The marks continued for about 220 meters, with a progressive rightward drift. At about 140 meters from the initial touchdown mark, a jersey barrier on the right side of the runway was found broken.
The wreckage came to rest with the nose and right wing on the ground, while the tail and left wing were supported by vegetation. The flaps were found in the "UP" position; the pilot stated he had retracted the flaps before exiting the aircraft. Small twigs still attached to trees and wedged in the flap tracks during retraction appeared to support this statement.
A weight analysis based on pilot-provided data and the Pilot Operating Handbook performance tables indicated that the aircraft's estimated takeoff mass (approximately 2664 lbs) likely exceeded the MTOM of 2550 lbs. After accounting for fuel consumption (estimated 126 lbs), the landing mass was estimated at about 2538 lbs, just below the maximum landing weight (which coincides with the MTOM).
A brake system test was conducted at an aeronautical company; the results are not detailed in the report.
Damage
The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the propeller, landing gear, wings, and elevator. Limited damage occurred to vegetation.