On June 28, 2000, an Europa Aviation Inc EUROPA XS TRI-GEAR (registration N912EA) was involved in an aviation accident near Lakeland, FL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the flight instructor's inadequate supervision that resulted in the dual student performing an improper landing flare/touchdown which resulted in a hard landing and overload to the nose landing gear assembly. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A flight instructor and student experienced a nose gear separation during a touch-and-go landing. A loud bang preceded the gear's departure; the aircraft landed safely but the nose strut collapsed.
Incident Overview
A flight instructor and a student pilot were conducting touch-and-go landings in a training aircraft when a mechanical failure occurred. The student was flying the airplane at the time. Immediately after touchdown during one touch-and-go, a loud bang was heard and felt by both occupants. They also observed a white object detach from the right side of the aircraft.
The instructor took control and initiated a go-around. After climbing, he verified that the nose landing gear was missing from the aircraft. The flight then proceeded to Lakeland Airport for landing. During the landing roll, the nose strut appeared to give way, and the aircraft settled onto its nose.
Investigation Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board's Materials Laboratory conducted a metallurgical examination of the damaged nose landing gear assembly. The examination determined that all fractures in the assembly were typical of an overstress condition. No other causal factors were identified in the examination.