What happened
On April 1, 2019, a Cessna 152 II, registration LV-OJF, was performing a general aviation ferry flight from Aeroclub Rosario to a declared landing site (LAD) in Oliveros, Santa Fe. The purpose of the flight was to transport the aircraft to a maintenance workshop for inspection.
After a 25-minute flight under visual conditions, the pilot began the landing sequence. During the final approach, the pilot mistakenly targeted a section of land parallel to the actual runway. The aircraft made contact with a soybean field located alongside the strip, resulting in significant damage to the aircraft. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The investigation examined the environmental conditions, the infrastructure of the landing site, and the pilot's decision-making process. The landing site in question, LAD 2437, is a private area used for agricultural and maintenance purposes. At the time of the accident, the site featured a runway with no visible markings or signage.
The investigation noted that the terrain adjacent to the runway was a soybean field with crops approximately 60 centimeters high. Due to recent rainfall, the grass on the actual runway was damp and a lighter shade of green compared to the intense green of the soybean crop. The pilot had previously operated from this site on the same day, but during the final approach of this specific maneuver, the pilot used the parallel crop field as the primary landing reference.
Findings
- The pilot identified a landing point parallel to runway 29 instead of the runway itself.
- The aircraft was positioned on final approach along a trajectory that was offset from the actual runway centerline.
- The lack of runway markings prevented the pilot from recognizing the lateral displacement until the aircraft touched the ground.
- Environmental factors, including low cloud cover, the approach of civil twilight, and the high-contrast green color of the soybean crops, likely hindered visual identification of the runway.
- The similar dimensions and shape of the adjacent field compared to the runway contributed to the pilot's confusion.