What happened
On April 29, 2007, a Cessna 182Q, registered D-ERPW, was performing a cross-country flight from Borkum, Germany, to Texel Airport in the Netherlands. The aircraft was carrying a pilot and one passenger. During the approach to runway 04, the pilot was informed of the prevailing wind conditions, which consisted of 20 to 30 knot gusts from 040 degrees.
While on final approach with 30 degrees of flaps at an indicated airspeed of 80 knots, the aircraft touched down on farmland located approximately five meters in front of a small waterway that separates the field from the airfield. The impact with the terrain caused the nose gear to be torn from the fuselage as the aircraft slid across the ditch. The aircraft eventually came to a stop 67 meters beyond the aerodrome boundary. While there were no injuries to the occupants, the aircraft sustained damage to the engine, cowling, propeller, and nose gear.
The investigation
The investigation was not a full-scale inquiry by the Dutch Safety Board but was instead based on data provided by the pilot and the duty aerodrome manager. The review focused on the flight conditions at the time of the landing and the pilot's handling of the aircraft during the final approach.
Findings
- The pilot reported encountering a downdraft during the short final phase of the approach.
- The wind conditions were unstable, characterized by gusts reaching 30 knots.
- The primary cause of the accident was a misjudgment of the wind situation during the landing phase.