Flight Details
On 10 June 2017, at 15:10 local time, a Piper PA-28-151, registration EC-HPN, was involved in a runway excursion during landing on runway 08 at Casarrubios del Monte Aerodrome (Toledo, Spain). The aircraft was operated by the flight school Airpilot (Flyschool) and was conducting a dual instruction flight as part of a private pilot license course. On board were an instructor and a student pilot, both uninjured. The flight originated from Cuatro Vientos Airport (Madrid) approximately 21 minutes earlier, with the intention of performing basic flight maneuvers under visual flight rules.
Reported Failures
During the flight, about 13 minutes after departure, the aircraft experienced a left bank of 40–50° with resistance in the flight controls. The crew identified a possible aileron control failure. After leveling the aircraft, they diverted to Casarrubios del Monte. During approach and descent, a second failure was reported involving the vertical speed indicator. During the landing roll on runway 08, a third failure occurred, described as a brake locking.
Investigation Findings
The investigation examined the flight control system, vertical speed indicator, and braking system. No technical faults were found in any of these systems. The reported aileron and vertical speed indicator issues were attributed to probable turbulence. The runway excursion was determined to have resulted from a very advanced touchdown on the runway, leaving insufficient remaining distance for braking, compounded by the crew’s stress from believing they were flying an aircraft with a control failure.
Conclusions
The probable cause of the incident was a very advanced touchdown that, combined with the crew’s stress, aggravated the landing and led to the runway excursion. No further contributing factors were identified. The investigation also noted three administrative issues (failure to report the incident, ELT status, and lack of traceability of an aileron servo) that were addressed by the involved organizations, and no safety recommendations were issued.