Cessna 152 Runway Excursion at Mutxamel Aerodrome (EC-DME)

Incident Overview and Flight Details On 28 September 2013, at 12:45 local time, a Cessna 152 with registration EC-DME experienced a runway excursion during landing at Mutxamel Aerodrome in Alicante, Spain. The aircraft was operated privately by a pilot who was a member of the Aeroclub de Alicante, the aircraft's owner. The flight was a private takeoff and landing exercise. The pilot had taken off from runway 12 at 12:40 local time. After completing a circuit, the aircraft made its first landing. According to the pilot's account, the initial touchdown was correct and the aircraft was centered on the runway. After rolling a few meters, the right wing suddenly lifted. The aircraft deviated to the right of the runway centerline and left the runway at the fourth light, approximately 350 meters from the runway 12 threshold, heading south. It struck a light during its path, which helped it come to a stop. The total flight duration was approximately 5 minutes. ## Damage and Personnel The aircraft sustained damage to the left wing, nose gear, and propeller. The pilot, the sole person on board, was uninjured and exited the aircraft under his own power. The pilot was a 55-year-old Belgian national holding a valid private pilot license and medical certificate. He had been a private pilot since 2011 and also held an ultralight pilot license. He had 66 total flight hours, with very little flying in the preceding three months. He was considered a prudent pilot and was familiar with the aircraft and the aerodrome, where he had obtained his license. ## Aircraft and Meteorological Information The Cessna 152 was built in 1980 and registered in Spain. It was acquired by the Real Aeroclub de Alicante in 1991. At the time of the incident, it had a valid certificate of airworthiness and insurance, with 15,353 total flight hours. A 100-hour inspection and propeller overhaul had been completed in August 2013. On the day of the incident, the aircraft had completed two previous flights at 10:00 and 11:45 local time, the latter lasting 1 hour and 25 minutes. The flight manual specified a crosswind limit of 12 knots. The weather conditions during the flight and landing featured winds of 17 knots from 170 degrees, variable between 160 and 200 degrees, with gusts of 22 knots. For operations on runway 12, these conditions resulted in crosswind components ranging from 10.9 to 16.7 knots, depending on the wind direction. ## Analysis and Probable Cause The investigation analyzed the wind conditions, the landing and runway excursion, and the pilot's experience. The damage to the left wing was consistent with the pilot's report that the right wing suddenly lifted, likely causing the left wing to contact the ground. The remaining damage to the propeller and nose gear resulted from the off-runway rollout. Crosswind landings require maintaining drift correction not only during approach but also during the ground roll. With wind from the right, the correct control position would have been right aileron and left rudder. The sudden lifting of the right wing suggested that the crosswind correction during the landing roll was insufficient, with the wings either level or not banked sufficiently to the right. The pilot likely attempted to compensate for the wing lift by applying right rudder and moving the control stick to the right, causing the aircraft to leave the runway to the right. Although the pilot was familiar with the aerodrome and aircraft, he had limited flight hours and likely limited experience in such wind conditions. The investigation identified the primary factor as the decision to operate in wind conditions that were not suitable for the flight. When the pilot decided to start the flight, the wind intensity and direction were similar to those during the landing. The crosswind values ranged from 13 to 16 knots, exceeding the 12-knot limit in the flight manual. The 22-knot gusts further complicated the operation.