What happened
A cross-country flight originated from Höganäs with a planned return to Gothenburg/Säve Airport. Prior to arrival, the pilot followed standard procedures by contacting the tower and requesting a PPR permit. During the approach to runway 01/19, the pilot maintained a stable three-degree sink rate. However, the aircraft touched down on a paved section of the runway that had been decommissioned when the runway length was shortened from 2,039 meters to 1,085 meters at the end of 2016.
The aircraft came to a stop approximately 10 meters from concrete obstacles, with the nose pointed toward the runway direction. The pilot was unharmed, and the aircraft sustained no damage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on why the pilot failed to identify the new, shorter runway threshold. Investigators noted that while the runway had been shortened, the original pavement and markings remained visible, albeit faintly. Three large white crosses had been placed on the surface to mark the closed area, and a fence was located 100 meters south of the new threshold.
Investigators examined the pilot's familiarity with the airport, noting that the pilot had trained at Gothenburg/Säve between 2012 and 2013, a period when the runway was still at its original length. The investigation also reviewed the visibility of runway markings and the pilot's use of navigation aids during the approach.
Findings
The primary cause of the incident was the pilot's reliance on an outdated mental model of the runway, leading them to target the old threshold. Several contributing factors were identified:
- The pilot's previous training at the airport occurred when the runway was at its full length, creating a long-standing familiarity with the old configuration.
- The approach from the south provided a straight-in path that made it difficult to perceive the new displaced threshold due to the flat viewing angle.
- The old runway markings were still faintly visible, while the new, valid markings lacked sufficient color contrast.
- The pilot did not consult updated runway charts, such as SkyDemon or Svenska flygfält, prior to the landing.
- Managing a crosswind during the final approach increased the pilot's mental workload, likely causing them to focus on the familiar visual cues of the old threshold rather than reassessing the current runway state.