What happened
On September 1, 2007, an Urban-Air UFM10 Samba, registration OK-GUA24, was performing a private flight from Abbeyshrule to Clonbullogue Airfield. During the landing roll on the grass runway, the aircraft encountered a patch of mud or uneven ground, causing it to veer sharply to the left. As the aircraft departed the runway at a low speed, the nose gear struck a hard surface, causing the steering tube to fracture. The impact destroyed the wooden propeller and caused minor damage to the nose gear. There were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger.
The investigation
The AAIU examined the aircraft's mechanical condition and the runway surface. While investigators could not specifically locate the muddy patch reported by the pilot, they identified distinct wheel tracks curving from the center of the runway toward the left edge. The inspection of the OK-GUA24 revealed that the nose wheel steering tube had broken at a pre-designed fail-safe point. This fracture was consistent with a single-event overload caused by the nose wheel hitting a hard area. The investigation also noted that the aircraft's braking system only applies to the main wheels, meaning the center of retardation moves ahead of the center of gravity if the nose wheel is independently retarded.
Findings
- The pilot maintained a valid PPL-M license.
- Directional control was lost during the landing roll.
- The aircraft exited the runway while turning to the left.
- The nose wheel steering tube fractured due to an overload when the gear encountered a hard surface.