Serious incident to the Piaggio P180 Avanti II registered F-HBAI on 08/09/2022 at Morlaix

This is a courtesy translation by the BEA of the Final Report on the Safety Investigation published in February 2023. As accurate as the translation may be, the original text in French is the work of reference.

Note: the following information is principally based on statements made by the pilot and the ATC communications. This information has not been independently validated by the BEA.

1. History of the flight

The pilot, accompanied by a passenger, also a pilot[1], carried out an IFR flight between Paris-Le Bourget airport and Morlaix-Ploujean aerodrome.

Approximately 15 min before landing, the AFIS officer informed the pilot about the condition of the runway (“slippery wet”), the presence of cumulonimbus clouds in the area, the direction and speed of the wind (from 250° at 17 kt, gusting at 24 kt) and that there had been a series of squalls. During the RNP approach for runway 22, the AFIS officer reminded the pilot that the wind was from 250° at 17 kt gusting at 23 kt and that the runway was slippery wet.

The pilot landed with a speed of around 120 kt, just before the touchdown zone. Shortly after the reverses came into action, during the landing run, at a speed of approximately 50 kt, the aeroplane suddenly veered to the right by approximately 90°. A few seconds later, the aeroplane came to rest on the gravel at the edge of the runway, 570 m from the runway 22 threshold.

2. Additional information

2.1 Aerodrome information

Morlaix-Ploujean aerodrome has a runway 04/22 with a landing distance available (on runway 22) of 1,617 m and a width of 36 m.

The aerodrome operator stated that the runway was not in a very good condition. As soon as it rained, puddles approximately one centimetre deep could form. After a rainfall, the GRF[2] given for the runway was generally 5/3/3 (slippery wet runway). The Visual Aerodrome Chart mentioned that runway 04/22 was slippery when wet, in the Air navigation hazards section[3].

In a mail to the president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of West Brittany-Morlaix in 2018, the DSAC Ouest indicated that the runway had been degrading since 2012 and requested that in order to ensure that the pavement could continue to support the traffic without risk, that they study the reinforcement of the runway without delay and that the work must be planned within a reasonable timeframe.

In July 2021, the DSAC contacted the president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) again asking him to inform them of his intentions relative to the necessary work that might be carried out before the end of 2023.

At the time of the serious incident, none of this work had been programmed.

In October 2022, a local safety commission meeting was held with representatives of the operator so they could analyse the serious incident to F-HBAI. Precisions on the Visual Approach Chart were added at the end of January 2023, including this information:

• AD operating conditions:
  • It is recommended not to use RWY 04/22 when crosswind component is greater than:
    • 25 kt on dry RWY;
    • 20 kt on wet RWY .
• Air navigation hazards:
  • Degraded RWY condition, cracks, dents, bumps;
  • ACFT take-off and landing performances likely to be altered, including on dry RWY;
  • Slippery RWY if wet, with the presence of multiple puddles of standing water
    10 mm deep, covering less than 25% per third of RWY.

A meeting was held mid-December 2022 with the DSAC and representatives of the CCI, including the aerodrome operator. During this meeting, plans for the future of the aerodrome were presented but without any certainty of them being carried out, given the deteriorated condition of the runway. Given these elements, the conditions of use of runway 04/22 could be reviewed.

2.2 Pilot information and statement

The 76-year-old pilot held an ATPL(A) licence with a Piaggio 180 type rating. He also held CRI, TRI, CRE and TRE. He had logged approximately 20,000 flight hours of which 800 hours on type.

The pilot stated that there were large pools of water on the runway. According to him, the aeroplane experienced an aquaplaning phenomenon which might have made it suddenly veer. He added that this phenomenon could have been reinforced by a lateral gust of wind. He stated that he did not make any rudder inputs at this moment and that the reverses worked correctly. He was used to landing on Morlaix-Ploujean aerodrome. On a wet runway, he anticipated a landing distance of 1,200 m. He indicated that the aeroplane was not fitted with an antiskid system. Both he and his passenger, the usual pilot of the aeroplane, with an experience of approximately 2,500 flight hours were very surprised.

2.3 Aeroplane information

The flight manual does not contain any limitations about the use of the reverses in crosswind conditions or on a wet runway.

The flight manual indicates that the reverses should not be used below 40 kt. The manufacturer indicates that below 40 kt, the reverses may cause steering instabilities due to the fact that turbulent air might hit the rudder.

2.4 Damage

The tyre came off the left wheel rim. The left wingtip showed marks of rubbing with the runway.