What happened
On February 17, 2008, a Tecnam P92 ECHO (registration PH-2X9) was performing a local flight at Lelystad Airport. During the final approach to the grass runway 23, the pilot encountered difficulty seeing runway markers due to the low angle of the sun. As the aircraft neared the ground, the pilot perceived an imminent collision with an orange marker used to delineate a narrowed section of the runway.
In response, the pilot initiated a go-around by applying full power and using right rudder to compensate for engine torque. However, as the main wheels touched the ground, the pilot decided to abort the go-around and reduced power. Immediately following the reduction in power, the aircraft veered sharply to the left, exited the runway, and entered a plowed field. The impact caused the aircraft to capsize, leaving it upside down. Both occupants were able to exit the aircraft without injury.
The investigation
The investigation examined the runway conditions, weather, and the pilot's maneuvers. The C-runway at Lelystad, a grass strip, had been narrowed from 50 meters to approximately 30 meters due to poor field conditions, with the narrowed boundary marked by orange cones. The investigation established that the pilot had aligned the aircraft with the centerline of the original, wider runway rather than the newly narrowed usable portion.
Environmental factors were also analyzed, specifically the position of the sun. At the time of the incident, the sun was at a low altitude of 17.5 degrees, which significantly hindered the pilot's ability to identify the orange markers during the final approach.
Findings
- The pilot failed to account for the shifted centerline of the narrowed runway during the final approach.
- The low sun angle prevented the pilot from clearly seeing the orange markers that indicated the restricted runway width.
- The primary cause of the accident was insufficient directional control of the aircraft after the power was reduced during the aborted go-around.
- The poor condition of the left side of the runway contributed to the aircraft's inability to remain on the paved/grass surface once it veered off-course.