Flight History
On 28 August 1982 at 17:45 local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registration CS-ADX, owned and piloted by João Tavares Valente, departed Santa Cruz aerodrome for Viseu aerodrome. The pilot was the sole crew member, accompanied by three passengers. The pilot held a valid Private Pilot Licence (PPA nº 3799) and had a total flying experience of 60 hours.
Upon arrival at Viseu, the pilot executed an approach to runway 01. During the final approach, while the aircraft was in level flight parallel to the ground, a lateral drift to the right occurred due to wind conditions. The pilot hesitated between performing a go-around and forcing the aircraft to land. He applied throttle abruptly, but the engine did not respond immediately. Consequently, the pilot forced the aircraft to land to avoid being carried sideways. This resulted in a nose-low touchdown, causing the nose wheel tire to burst. The tire burst and the compression of the nose gear shock absorber allowed the propeller blades to strike the ground. The aircraft then veered left and came to rest near the left edge of the runway.
Meteorological Information
Weather conditions were reported as CAVOC (ceiling and visibility okay) with unlimited visibility. Wind was from 270 degrees at 10 knots, and temperature was 30°C.
Aircraft Damage
The aircraft sustained damage as detailed in the official annex: the nose wheel assembly was significantly damaged, with the fork twisted, rim and tire destroyed. Propeller blades were bent inward approximately 10 to 15 cm. The left and right main landing gear wheels showed signs of lateral stress, and the left shock absorber was twisted. The engine, fuselage, wings, and other components were reported as intact or lightly damaged.
Probable Cause
The investigation stated the following probable cause: "Ao tentar borregar accionou o comando do acelerador com brusquidão e não obteve resposta. Accionou então o manche com acção precipita da para segurar o avião ao chão. Daí o embate que produziu o rebentamento do pneu. Pouca experiência do piloto." (When attempting to go around, he operated the throttle abruptly and got no response. He then acted precipitously on the control column to force the aircraft down. Hence the impact that caused the tire burst. Pilot's lack of experience.)