Factual Information
On 13 October 2016, a Cessna 172P aircraft, registration PK-HAN, operated by Aero Flyer Institute, was conducting a dual flight training exercise at Cakrabhuwana Airport in Cirebon, West Java, Indonesia. On board were one instructor pilot and two student pilots. The aircraft experienced a runway excursion and came to rest on the right shoulder of the stopway, approximately 1,400 meters from the beginning of runway 04.
Sequence of Events
At 14:05 local time, the instructor pilot made initial contact with the tower controller, requesting taxi clearance for a training area. The aircraft took off from runway 04 at 14:18 and proceeded to the training area. At 15:11, the tower instructed the aircraft to return due to decreasing weather conditions. The aircraft entered the left downwind for runway 04 at 1,500 feet. The tower instructed the student pilot to follow traffic ahead. The pilot of that traffic reported gusty winds. On the base leg, the instructor pilot took over control due to gusty wind conditions.
At 15:23, the aircraft touched down with flaps not extended. The investigation could not determine why the aircraft was in a flapless configuration. The tower observed the windsock and noted that wind direction had changed from approximately 360° at 10 knots to approximately 270° at 10 knots. The tower witnessed the aircraft touch down in the middle of the runway. The wind change was too rapid for the tower to inform the instructor.
Landing Performance and Outcome
The aircraft stopped on the right shoulder of the stopway. The instructor and two student pilots evacuated without injury, and no damage was found to the aircraft. The Cessna 172P's landing performance, calculated using available data, indicated that with an 8-knot tailwind and flapless configuration, the required landing roll was approximately 1,077 feet (328 meters). Given that the aircraft touched down in the middle of the runway (about 640 meters from the start), the total estimated landing distance was about 968 meters from the beginning of runway 04, suggesting the runway length should have been sufficient. However, the reason the runway became insufficient could not be determined.
Safety Message
The investigation report noted that changes in wind direction or other conditions leading to unanticipated aircraft behavior should be communicated by ATC to pilots immediately. However, rapid wind changes can present a dilemma for controllers when aircraft are on final approach. From the pilot's perspective, timely information about runway conditions, including wind direction, is valuable for landing decisions. The report also referenced the Approach and Landing Accident Reduction (ALAR) briefing note, which encourages policies promoting readiness to go around to avoid hazardous landings.