What happened
On 5 May 2014, a Reims Cessna F172N, registration G-LTEE, was performing a private cross-country flight from Dunkeswell to Fairoaks Airport. During the approach to Runway 24, the pilot performed two go-arounds due to being too high on the initial attempts. On the third approach, the pilot opted to fly with flaps up and maintained an airspeed of approximately 85 kt to manage the 12 kt crosswind.
While the initial touchdown on the centreline was normal, the aircraft began to drift toward the right side of the runway approximately 320 m from the threshold. This drift occurred as the pilot began applying the brakes. Despite the application of left rudder, the aircraft veered off the runway surface while traveling at roughly 30 kt. As the nosewheel entered soft, boggy ground, the aircraft decelerated rapidly and pitched forward, resulting in the aircraft flipping onto its back. Both the pilot and the passenger sustained minor injuries and were able to exit the aircraft through the doors.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation examined the aircraft's flight history and the mechanical state of the controls. It was noted that the aircraft had a known tendency to require constant left aileron input to maintain level flight during flight, a condition that previous pilots had attempted to mitigate by setting the rudder trim almost fully to the left. The investigation also reviewed GPS data from the pilot's tablet, which tracked the aircraft's ground track and speed.
Findings
- The aircraft departed the runway surface due to a failure to maintain sufficient into-wind aileron input after touchdown.
- The pilot suspected that the wind lifted the left wing, which, when combined with braking, caused the right brake to become more effective than the left, inducing the rightward drift.
- The soft and boggy nature of the ground outside the runway caused the nosewheel to sink 30 cm, leading to the rapid deceleration and subsequent inversion of the aircraft.
- The aircraft sustained significant damage to the wing, propeller, windscreen, tail, and various body and wing panels.