Speed ruled as likely cause of Milltownpass light aircraft crash
An incident in which a small aircraft came off the runway at an unlicensed airstrip in Milltownpass, Westmeath in May of 2023 was probably due to the landing having taken place at excessive speed, followed by insufficient brake application, air accident investigators have ruled.
Contributory causes were probably the pilot’s lack of experience on the type of aircraft he was flying, together with the condition of the runway surface and a probable tailwind.
The 53-year-old pilot flying the 54-year-old Beechcraft 19A Musketeer Sport III, sustained injuries to his nose and to an eye, but was able to exit the aircraft unaided.
The report by the Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU), determined that the pilot flew three low-level circuits to Runway 24 at Milltownpass Airstrip before landing during a fourth circuit.
“However, a runway excursion occurred when the aircraft departed the right-hand side of the runway during the landing roll. The aircraft’s right wing impacted a hedgerow before the aircraft came to rest in a shallow ditch at the airstrip boundary beyond the end of the runway,” the report stated, noting that the aircraft had sustained substantial damage.
The day’s activities for the pilot had begun at Wolverhampton/Halfpenny Green Airport (EGBO) in the UK, from where he flew to Abbeyshrule Aerodrome (EIAB) in Longford on a Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flight.
At Abbeyshrule, he refuelled the craft, before setting off on the 15-minute journey to Milltownpass Airstrip for a meeting in the area. His intention was to fly back to the UK after the meeting.
According to the report, the pilot said that following touchdown, and on application of the brakes, the aircraft was not decelerating as expected. He applied additional brake pressure but realised that he was now a considerable distance beyond his intended stopping point. He said that he then applied what he perceived to be maximum brake pressure as he believed that there was insufficient runway remaining to perform what he described as a go-around.
Despite that, a runway excursion occurred as the aircraft veered to the right of the runway and the right wing hit a hedgerow. Following that, the aircraft veered further to the right, before coming to rest with a significant nose-down attitude in a ditch beyond the end of the runway.
The pilot told investigators he had flown to Milltownpass airstrip on previous occasions, but not in that aircraft type. He had recently purchased the plane, and had approximately 14 hours of experience in it, seven of which were in the previous 28 days. In total, on all types of plane, he had 395 hours’ flying experience.
At the time of his arrival at the Milltownpass airstrip, the airstrip was unattended.
The investigators stated that the privately-owned Milltownpass airstrip is unlicensed, as is, therefore, not subject to regulatory oversight.
“During the Investigation’s site survey, accurate measurement of the runway was difficult due to a lack of definition of the runway boundaries,” the report stated adding that while there was a windsock, its supporting pole was leaning to one side, with the result that the windsock tended to rotate to a position that, at lower wind speeds, was not indicative of the actual wind direction.
The investigators proposed that the perceived reduced braking action experienced by the pilot may have been due to a degraded braking performance related to the loose shale and compacted soil under short grass conditions present at the airstrip.
The investigators were satisfied that based on the pilot’s own reported touchdown point, there was sufficient landing distance available with maximum braking being applied.