Event Details
On 26 August 2023 at 17:48 local time, a Cessna 182 H, registration HA-CSR, attempted a takeoff from Balatonkeresztúr Airport (LHBK) for a parachute drop flight. During the takeoff roll, the aircraft overran the runway, crossing the runway threshold by 78 meters and entering a shallow ditch. The nose wheel collapsed, causing the aircraft to pitch forward to a near-vertical attitude before falling back onto its main landing gear and coming to rest on the far side of the ditch.
Injuries and Damage
One of the five occupants (a pilot and four parachutists) sustained minor injuries that healed within eight days. The aircraft was substantially damaged.
Investigation Findings
The investigation board determined that the accident was caused by human factors. The pilot failed to abort the takeoff in a timely manner. This failure may have resulted from reduced situational awareness leading to delayed recognition and/or a momentary cognitive freeze when the takeoff conditions did not match the pilot's expectations based on prior experience. Contributing factors included reduced engine power, likely due to overuse; inadequate flight preparation and execution; overloading of the aircraft; failure to consider the effect of weather conditions on takeoff performance; and non-use of the short-field takeoff procedure described in the aircraft's flight manual. No safety recommendations were issued.
Probable Cause
The probable cause, as identified by the investigation board, was human factor: the pilot did not abort the takeoff in time.