Investigation number
199700155
Occurrence date
State
Western Australia
Report release date
Report status
Final
Investigation type
Occurrence Investigation
Investigation status
Completed
Aviation occurrence type
Runway excursion
Occurrence category
Accident

The crew were having problems with the survey equipment so they decided to land at Bencubbin to investigate. The wind was from the west at 20 kts with gusts to 35 kts. The landing strip at Bencubbin is aligned 160/340 degrees. It slopes up to the north, is 970 m long with a gravel surface and power lines on both approaches. Field elevation is 1000 ft. After conducting an airborne inspection of the strip, the pilot decided to land into the north. Because of the crosswind he decided to use 10 degrees of flap for the landing. The pilot reported that the first 100 m of strip was overflown due to its (unsuitable) surface condition. As the aircraft touched down, at approximately 80 kts, it was hit by a wind gust from behind, which resulted in a heavy touchdown and subsequent bounce. The pilot immediately initiated a go-around but with the loss of airspeed associated with the initial bounce and an increasing tailwind component, the aircraft continued to run along the upsloping gravel surface. The go-around attempt was then abandoned in consideration of the powerlines off the end of the strip. The pilot was unable to stop the aircraft overrunning the end of the strip where it finally came to rest in adjoining scrub, substantially damaged.

Aircraft Details
Manufacturer
Cessna Aircraft Company
Model
U206G
Registration
VH-UPK
Sector
Piston
Departure point
Jandakot WA-
Destination
Merredin WA
Damage
Substantial