What happened
On July 21, 2001, at 20:20 local time, a PIPER PA-28-140, registration EC-DBH, was completing a supervised cross-country flight at Cuatro Vientos Airport. The aircraft, operated as a solo instructional flight, landed on runway 28. Due to the aircraft's approach profile, the touchdown occurred approximately 75 meters from the threshold at a speed of 65 knots.
Following the landing, the pilot attempted to vacate the runway using a high-speed exit (Exit D) intended for aircraft landing on the opposite runway head (Runway 10). While the initial straight-line rollout was controlled, the pilot began a turn toward the taxiway. During this maneuver, the pilot applied excessive braking on the left wheel while attempting to correct a slight rightward deviation. This resulted in a loss of directional control, causing the aircraft to veer off the left side of the runway before reaching the junction of the high-speed exit.
As the aircraft left the paved surface, the nose gear collapsed, causing the propeller and nose of the aircraft to strike the ground. The right wing also made contact with the terrain. The aircraft sustained major damage.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft's flight path, the airport's runway configuration, and the pilot's maneuvers. It was noted that the specific high-speed exit used by the pilot is designed for departures from runway 10; when used after a landing on runway 28, the turn required is extremely sharp. Meteorological data at the time of the incident indicated calm to light winds (approximately 2 knots).
Findings
- The pilot attempted to use a high-speed exit that necessitated an excessively tight turn for the current landing direction.
- The primary cause of the excursion was the loss of control caused by excessive braking on the left wheel during an attempt to correct the aircraft's path.