What happened
On May 27, 2016, at 18:35 UTC, a Piper PA-18-150, registration OK-LIP, was performing a flight from Moravská Třebová (LKMK) to the Bánov aerodrome (LKBANO). During the approach to runway 15, the pilot executed a landing attempt that resulted in the aircraft overturning on its back.
The aircraft's touchdown occurred before the runway threshold. The right main wheel made contact with the surface first, followed by the left wheel approximately 10 meters later. The landing strip transitioned from a firmer grassy surface to a softer, cultivated field. As the aircraft moved into the soft terrain, which was covered in approximately 0.6-meter-tall crops, the sudden deceleration caused by the ground surface and vegetation triggered the aircraft to flip backward due to inertia. The impact caused the engine to stop abruptly and the propeller to bend. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The ÚZPLN investigation examined the pilot's flight history, the aircraft's maintenance records, and the meteorological conditions at the time of the accident. The investigation established that the pilot had recently completed transition training on the Piper PA-18-150 on May 25, 2016, and had only approximately four hours of total time on this specific type. Furthermore, the pilot had never previously landed at the Bánov aerodrome.
GPS data and flight analysis indicated that the pilot was likely attempting to save time due to approaching twilight and nearby convective weather. The investigation also noted that the runway threshold markings for RWY 15 were poorly visible, which the pilot reported not seeing during the approach.
Findings
- The pilot was qualified to fly but possessed minimal practical experience with the specific aircraft type.
- The pilot had no prior landing experience at the Bánov aerodrome.
- The pilot failed to utilize the published standard traffic pattern, which would have provided a better margin for error on the narrow runway.
- The pilot misjudged the touchdown point, resulting in the aircraft landing before the runway threshold.
- The primary cause of the accident was the incorrectly chosen touchdown point at an unfamiliar aerodrome, compounded by the pilot's limited experience with the aircraft type.