What happened
On November 13, 2010, a Beechcraft 95-B55, registration N81AB, was performing a private flight from Bresso to the 'Il Gabbiano' airpark in San Vincenzo, Italy. Upon arrival, the pilot contacted the local radio station and elected to land on runway 27, choosing this direction because it was free of obstacles, despite facing a light tailwind of approximately 5 knots. The grass runway was wet at the time of the event.
During the landing roll, the pilot realized that braking action was extremely limited and that the remaining runway length was insufficient to stop the aircraft. Approximately 100 meters before the end of the runway, the pilot executed a 30-degree left yaw to avoid a direct collision with a canal located at the runway's terminus. This maneuver caused the aircraft to exit the runway laterally. As the aircraft crossed a drainage ditch bordering a field to the south, the landing gear detached, resulting in significant damage to the propellers and the lower fuselage. All three persons on board escaped without injury.
The investigation
The ANSV investigation examined the runway characteristics and the aircraft's performance. The grass runway 09/27 at 'Il Gabbiano' is 700 meters long and 45 meters wide, with a 0.7% downgrade slope when landing on runway 27. While the aircraft's estimated landing weight of approximately 1,995 kg required a landing distance of about 470 meters, the investigation found that the pilot's approach was flawed.
Witnesses and pilot testimony indicated that the pilot performed a tight circuit at 600 feet and maintained an approach speed that increased by roughly 8 mph to ensure touchdown at the runway threshold. This resulted in a brief float, with the actual touchdown occurring approximately 200 to 250 meters from the threshold. The combination of the wet grass, the downward slope, and the late touchdown point meant the available runway was insufficient for a safe stop.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was inadequate management of the approach and landing phase by the pilot.
- The pilot arrived high at the runway threshold.
- The pilot failed to properly account for the tailwind component, the wet condition of the grass, and the negative gradient of the runway during the landing on runway 27.