What happened
On 16 February 2006, a Cessna 182, registration ZS-FIX, was conducting a private flight from Virginia Aerodrome toward a private farm aerodrome located near Kokstad. The flight was carrying two occupants, including the pilot and one passenger.
Upon arrival, the pilot performed an inspection of the destination aerodrome, a site with which he had prior experience. During the landing sequence on Runway 29, the aircraft touched down approximately 75 to 80 meters beyond the runway threshold. The aircraft was configured with full flaps and an indicated airspeed of roughly 75 to 80 mph, while surface winds were light from the northwest at 5 knots.
Following touchdown, the pilot attempted to decelerate the aircraft; however, the braking action proved insufficient to halt the plane on the remaining runway surface. Consequently, the aircraft overran the runway and came to rest after plunging into a trench situated at the end of the airstrip. There were no injuries reported for the pilot or the passenger, though the aircraft suffered damage to the propeller, the right-hand wing, and the nose landing gear.
The investigation
Investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the landing and the mechanical state of the aircraft. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft's last Mandatory Periodic Inspection (MPI) had been completed on 13 May 2005, at 5,164.28 airframe hours. At the time of the occurrence, the Cessna 182 had flown an additional 96.39 hours since that inspection.
Findings
- The aircraft landed on a down-sloping grass runway.
- The pilot was unable to achieve sufficient deceleration due to ineffective braking on the runway surface.
- The aircraft's momentum carried it past the end of the usable runway and into a trench.