What happened
On July 7, 2018, at approximately 12:45 local time, a Robin DR 400/200 R, registered as HB-KFH, was completing a private VFR flight from Grenchen to Schaffhausen. Following the landing at Schaffhausen (LSPF), the aircraft was in its landing roll when it encountered a bump on the runway surface. This disturbance caused the aircraft to lift slightly off the ground, leading to a loss of directional control. The aircraft subsequently veered to the left, departing the runway and traveling at a walking pace into an adjacent cornfield before coming to a complete stop.
The investigation
Investigators examined the sequence of events following the excursion from the runway. The investigation focused on the aircraft's behavior after encountering the runway irregularity and the pilot's subsequent control inputs. It was established that the aircraft's path was altered by the physical impact of the bump, which induced a brief period of flight/lift.
Findings
- The primary cause of the excursion was the aircraft striking a bump on the runway surface, which caused the aircraft to lift momentarily.
- During the loss of directional control, the pilot attempted to apply braking; however, the braking force was not sufficient to prevent the aircraft from veering off the paved surface.
- There were no injuries to the pilot or any other persons, and the aircraft sustained no damage during the incident.