What happened
On June 17, 1972, a Piper PA 28-140B Cherokee, registration D-EBDB, was participating in an aerial rally when it experienced an excursion during landing at Geneva-Cointrin airport. The pilot, accompanied by one passenger, attempted to land on the grass runway 23, which had a total length of 673 meters.
During the approach, the aircraft encountered an approximately 8-knot tailwind. The pilot failed to compensate for this wind component, resulting in the aircraft touching down only 300 meters from the end of the runway and positioned to the left of the active surface. Despite the application of heavy braking, the aircraft continued along the taxiway area and struck two taxiway boundary markers at 17:06 local time.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight conditions and the pilot's handling of the aircraft. The pilot held a valid private pilot license with a restricted radio telephony rating and possessed 362 total flight hours, 312 of which were on the specific aircraft type.
Technical inspections of the D-EBDB revealed no mechanical deficiencies contributing to the event. Meteorological data at the time of the accident indicated good visibility and a wind from 050° at 8 knots. While runway 23 remained operational for winds up to 10 knots, the investigation noted that the aircraft landed on the taxiway area rather than the runway itself; however, this deviation did not change the available stopping distance, as the taxiway area was similarly bounded by markers.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the failure to compensate for a tailwind during the landing phase.
- The pilot had been informed of the wind conditions via radio but did not adjust the approach accordingly.
- The landing occurred too close to the runway end markers, leaving insufficient distance to stop the aircraft.
- There were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger, and the aircraft sustained only minor damage.