Accident Details
On 5 May 2014 at 1339 UTC, a Reims Cessna F172N (registration G-LTEE, serial number 1772, year of manufacture 1978) sustained damage to its left wing spar, wing and body panels, tail, propeller, and windscreen after departing the runway at Fairoaks Airport, Surrey. The aircraft was engaged in a private flight with one pilot and one passenger. Both occupants sustained minor injuries.
History of the Flight
The pilot, aged 55, held a Private Pilot’s Licence with 113 total flying hours, of which 7 were on type. He had recently converted from a Cessna 152 and Piper PA-28 to the Cessna 172. During a cross-country flight from Dunkeswell to Fairoaks, he noticed a need to hold constant left aileron input to maintain wings level, a known issue with this aircraft. The rudder trim had been set almost full left by previous pilots to relieve the required left aileron.
On arrival, the wind was reported as 12 knots from 180°. The pilot performed an overhead join, selected two stages of flap, and turned onto final for Runway 24. He was too high and initiated a go-around. A second approach also resulted in a go-around. On the third approach, he extended the downwind leg, left flaps up, and approached at about 85 knots. The aircraft touched down normally on the centerline, and the pilot initially allowed it to decelerate without braking. At about 320 meters from the runway threshold, the aircraft began to drift right, possibly coincident with initial brake application. The pilot applied left rudder, but the aircraft continued right, departing the runway at about 30 knots. The soft, boggy ground caused rapid deceleration as the nosewheel plowed the ground to about 30 cm depth. As the aircraft nearly stopped, it pitched forward onto its back. The pilot and passenger released their harnesses and exited through the doors.
Pilot’s Assessment
The pilot could not recall if he had into-wind left aileron applied after touchdown, but suspected insufficient left aileron. He thought the wind lifted the left wing slightly, and combined with braking, the right brake became more effective, causing the right turn. He also considered that the in-flight right roll tendency may have contributed to the left wing lifting.