What happened
On October 31, 2013, a Cessna 172S, registration OK-MIL, was performing a night training flight at Roudnice Airport (LKRO) when it struck an obstacle during landing. The flight, intended to refresh the pilot's night flying skills, involved a pilot and an instructor.
During the approach to runway 13L, the crew noticed a hay bale on the left side of the aircraft. The pilot attempted to avoid the obstacle by pulling back on the control column, while the instructor simultaneously attempted a right bank to evade. Despite these maneuvers, the aircraft's left main landing gear struck the hay bale. The impact caused the left wheel to break off and the landing gear leg to be torn from the airframe. The aircraft continued its landing roll, veered left, and exited the runway. Both crew members were uninjured.
The investigation
The ÚZPLN investigation examined the flight path using GPS data from a Garmin unit, which revealed that the aircraft was on a very shallow approach angle of approximately 2.3 degrees. The analysis established that the pilot had reduced power to idle approximately 50 meters from the threshold, a point at which the aircraft's height was only about 1.5 meters above the hay bale.
Investigators also examined the airfield environment, noting that agricultural work had been taking place in the area. While the crew had been informed by the AFIS dispatcher about the agricultural activities, the hay bales had not been removed from the runway strip.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was an improperly executed landing maneuver that resulted in a collision with a hay bale.
- The hay bale was located within the runway strip, where no obstacles should be present during operations.
- The pilot performed an incorrect approach calculation, resulting in an insufficient altitude to clear the obstacle.
- The instructor failed to provide timely intervention to correct the pilot's approach.
- The aircraft sustained significant damage to the fuselage, left stabilizer, and vertical fin due to the impact and subsequent landing without the left gear.