What happened
On 10 August 2010, a Piper PA 23, registration N2401Z, was conducting a private flight that included stops at Cardiff and Southampton. During the final leg from Southampton, the pilot encountered severe control difficulties involving the use of excessive right aileron. Due to these handling issues, the pilot declared a MAYDAY and diverted to Bournemouth Airport.
After an initial go-around at Runway 26 caused by positioning difficulties, the pilot opted for a flapless landing on Runway 08. Despite a normal touchdown, the combination of high approach speeds, a 13 kt tailwind component, and a wet runway surface led the pilot to intentionally overrun the runway. The aircraft came to a stop on the grass beyond the runway end. There were no injuries to the crew or the two passengers, and no damage was sustained by the aircraft.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation established that the control difficulties were caused by a fuel imbalance, specifically that the port tanks remained full. The investigation found that the pilot had attempted to manage asymmetric fuel readings by using the cross-feed system, a practice previously noted by a prior pilot. However, the pilot had failed to properly engage the cross-feed item during the initial pre-flight checks of the day. This omission was attributed to the pilot being distracted by a flat battery during the start of the flight operations.
Findings
- The primary cause of the control difficulties was a fuel imbalance resulting from the port tanks being full.
- The pilot failed to complete the cross-feed checklist item due to distraction by a battery issue.
- The decision to overrun the runway was a deliberate action taken to avoid the risk of tyre bursts associated with high-speed braking on a wet surface.