Incident
On 3 February 2019 at 17:30 local time, a Cessna 525A CitationJet CJ2+ (registration D-ITMA) operated by Luxaviation Germany GmbH was conducting a commercial IFR flight from Milan Malpensa Airport (LIMC) to Sion Airport (LSGS). After landing on runway 25, the aircraft exited at intersection Hotel and proceeded along taxiway Sierra. Between intersections Foxtrot and Echo, the aircraft deviated to the left, causing the left main landing gear to run onto a wet, muddy grass strip. The commander attempted to correct the trajectory, but the aircraft continued into the grass before coming to a stop. The incident resulted in a lateral excursion from the taxiway.
Aircraft and Crew
The aircraft, a Cessna 525A, was owned by MCG Air (Lux) Sarl. and operated by Luxaviation Germany GmbH. The crew consisted of two Swiss nationals: the commander (born 1975) held an EASA CPL(A) issued by the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation, with 1089:05 hours total flight time, including 628:09 hours on type. The copilot (born 1990) held an EASA CPL(A) issued by the French Directorate General for Civil Aviation, with 529:36 hours total flight time, including 190:03 hours on type.
Findings
No injuries were sustained by the crew, and the aircraft was only lightly damaged. A minor fuel spill occurred from the right wing tank, causing slight ground contamination. The grass strip to the left of taxiway Sierra was wet and muddy, which prevented any effective correction once the aircraft left the paved surface. The commander stated that his attention was drawn to the airspace to locate an aircraft conducting a visual approach under marginal weather conditions, while the copilot was completing the aircraft technical logbook upon the commander's instruction. The distance from the point where the left main gear left the taxiway to the final resting position was approximately 50 meters.
Analysis and Conclusion
Based on pilot statements, on-site observations, and visual inspection, the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB) authorized firefighters to recover the aircraft. The analysis concluded that the distraction caused by searching for airborne traffic led to a deviation during taxi that was not noticed in time by the crew. No further investigative measures were deemed necessary.