What happened
On 1 January 1999, a Reims Cessna FRA150L, registration G-BCKU, was conducting a private flight when it experienced an overrun during landing at Baxterley. The pilot had been visiting various airfields throughout the day and had been forced to make an unscheduled stop at Swinderby. This unplanned detour caused a delay, resulting in the aircraft arriving back at Baxterley as daylight was fading.
During the approach to the grass Runway 25, the pilot performed a go-around. On the subsequent attempt, the aircraft touched down between one third and one half along the 45 and 0-metre runway. Due to the damp surface of the grass, the aircraft was unable to decelerate sufficiently, leading to an overrun into a nearby ploughed field. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to its landing gear and right wing, though the pilot escaped without injury.
The investigation
Investigators reviewed the accident report submitted by the pilot to reconstruct the sequence of events. The examination focused on the impact of the flight's delay on the pilot's decision-making and the environmental conditions at the time of the landing. The investigation established that the pilot's arrival at the airfield coincided with failing light levels.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the pilot's failure to divert to another airfield following the initial missed approach.
- Poor visibility caused by the lack of light contributed to the incident.
- The damp condition of the grass runway reduced the available braking effectiveness, preventing the aircraft from stopping within the runway limits.