What happened
During an arrival at Sam Neua-Nathong Airport, an aircraft experienced a runway excursion following touchdown. The airport's runway, which measures 1,000 meters in length and sits at an elevation of 1,100 meters, was being used during a period involving a tailwind component.
Upon contacting the ground, the pilot determined that the remaining runway distance was insufficient to bring the aircraft to a complete stop. To prevent the plane from overrunning the threshold and colliding with a ravine situated beyond the end of the runway, the pilot executed a maneuver to steer the aircraft off the paved surface. The aircraft subsequently came to a halt in a nearby terraced rice field.
While the incident resulted in the aircraft being damaged beyond repair, there were no injuries reported among the occupants of the plane.
Findings
- The landing was performed with a tailwind component which increased the required stopping distance.
- The pilot's decision to depart the runway was an intentional maneuver to avoid a more severe impact with a ravine.