Runway excursion involving a Cessna 172RG, VH-OAC, Gnowangerup (ALA), Western Australia, on 8 August 1995

The pilot completed an airfield inspection prior to joining the circuit for landing. He noted from the movement of the trees that there was a crosswind from the right on runway 30 but he was unable to find the windsock to determine its strength. The pilot flew a normal crosswind approach, with the aircraft yawed into wind, selecting full flap (300) at a speed of 70 kts on short finals. He applied left rudder and right aileron, during the landing, to counter the crosswind. The aircraft bounced on touchdown and began to drift to the left. The application of full right aileron failed to stop the drift, and the pilot applied full power in an attempt to go-around. By this time the aircraft had left the runway and was heading towards a gravel mound. The aircraft appeared reluctant to get airborne and the pilot retracted the flaps to 200 in an attempt to improve performance. The aircraft collided with the gravel mound before it became airborne.

A video of the landing and accident indicated that a strong wind was blowing and that there were significant gusts. The aircraft was affected by one such gust as it touched down the first time and it was evident that the pilot was unable to counter its effect. There was insufficient room following the application of power for the aircraft to become airborne before it collided with the mound. The windsock had been shredded by strong winds and was unusable as an indication of wind strength. The pilot had completed crosswind refresher training on the weekend before the accident flight and had assessed the conditions as difficult but safe.