The Australian Transport Safety Bureau urges pilots to take the time to ensure they have all the information they need before landing their aircraft. This warning comes after an accident in South Australia where a Piper PA-39 skidded off the end of the runway at Innamincka, before spinning to the left and coming to rest in a gully.
The aircraft was carrying the pilot and one passenger. The landing area at Innamincka had one gravel runway, about 1,000 m long. As the aircraft approached the airfield, the pilot noticed that the windsock was indicating a strong crosswind. As a precaution, he increased his approach speed and reduced his flap setting. The pilot elected to land further along the runway than normal to avoid the rough, rocky ground just before the runway. As a result, the aircraft touched down about a quarter of the way along the runway.
Pilots should establish a decision point along the runway at which a go-around should be initiated if the requirements for a safe landing can no longer be met.
When the aircraft was about halfway along the runway, the pilot realised that it was going too fast, so he applied full braking. He judged it was too late to commence a go-around, but the braking was ineffective due to the surface of the runway. The aircraft continued on beyond the end of the runway before its left wheel struck a depression. This caused it to spin to the left before coming to rest in a one-metre-deep gully. The pilot sustained minor injuries and the passenger was uninjured, but the aircraft was significantly damaged. The pilot recalled the surface of the runway contained a lot of small loose stones, which may have affected the braking capacity of the aircraft during the landing.
This accident demonstrates the importance of assessing the operational and environmental conditions at the time to determine the most suitable landing type. Pilots should also establish a decision point along the runway at which a go-around should be initiated if the requirements for a safe landing can no longer be met.
The accident also highlights the benefits of using all available resources, including people on the ground, for gathering information on the actual conditions.
Read the report: Runway excursion involving Piper PA-39, VH-MMN, Innamincka Township (ALA), South Australia, on 26 October 2012, which contains links to publications on short field approaches and landings.