Flight History
On 6 May 1972, a pilot intending to fly to Spain had an engine adjustment performed on his Cessna F 172 H at Geneva-Cointrin airport. After the work was completed, he departed at 16:30 local time from the hard runway 23 for a test flight, accompanied by a mechanic from the company that performed the adjustment. Although he specified in his flight plan a desire to land on the hard runway, the tower instructed him to prepare an approach on the grass runway 23 due to commercial traffic density. After two missed approaches, the pilot landed next to the active grass runway on a closed runway, which was marked as such by three white crosses. At 16:46, the aircraft collided with one of the signal crosses.
Injuries and Damage
The occupants were uninjured. The aircraft sustained minor damage, and no ground damage occurred.
Pilot Information
The pilot, born in 1945, held a valid FAA private pilot license. His total flight experience was 136.45 hours, including 54.50 hours on the accident aircraft type. In the three months preceding the accident, he had flown 43.10 hours, 41.10 of which were on the type. According to statements, the pilot was unaccustomed to grass runways and did not know the meaning of white crosses. The investigation found no evidence to suggest the pilot was not in good health at the time of the accident.
Aircraft Information
The Cessna F 172 H, registration N 20462, was in airworthy condition and certified for flight. No technical deficiency was identified in relation to the accident.
Weather and Runway Information
At the time of the flight, visibility was 7 km and light rain was falling. Due to construction work, the grass runway had been relocated northward. The replacement grass runway measured 675 by 20 meters and was correctly marked with white stripes. The closed runway was marked with three white crosses of 4 by 4 meters, located 50 meters from the thresholds of runways 05 and 23, and at mid-length. Additionally, red and white markers were placed at each threshold. To help prevent confusion, the white boundary markings had been painted green. The caravan used to direct traffic on the grass runway was stationed in front of the closed runway threshold. The person in charge noticed the incorrect final approach and attempted to telephone the tower, but the line was busy due to dense traffic on the hard runway.
Analysis
The pilot intended to land on the hard runway, as indicated in his flight plan, and did not inquire about details concerning the grass runway. Combined with his lack of experience on such runways, he misinterpreted the markings for grass runway 23 and conducted all three approaches on the closed runway, where he eventually landed. The airport authorities had taken all precautions to clearly indicate the serviceable grass runway and the prohibition of the old runway. The question remained whether the caravan attendant, after an unsuccessful attempt to notify the tower, could have used a visual signal to prevent the landing on the closed runway.
Causes
The accident was caused by a landing on a closed runway, following the prohibition to land on the pilot's planned runway and his ignorance of the meaning of ground markings.