What happened
On September 12, 2015, a pilot operating a Piper PA-28-180 began a flight from Rybnik Gotartowice (EPRG) following a routine aircraft inspection. The flight concluded with a landing at Mirosławice (EPMR) at 17:20 LMT.
While taxiing toward the hangar, the aircraft encountered uneven terrain on the airfield. During this maneuver, the front landing gear strut sustained damage, causing the nose of the aircraft to drop significantly. This reduction in propeller clearance resulted in the propeller blades striking the ground. After the aircraft came to a complete stop and the engine was shut down, the pilot identified damage to the tips of both propeller blades and the nose gear strut.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical failure of the nose gear assembly. A detailed inspection of the front landing gear strut revealed that the internal O-rings had been damaged. This failure led to a loss of compressed air within the strut, which prevented the gear from maintaining its proper height and caused the nose of the aircraft to sink.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the loss of air pressure in the nose gear strut due to damaged O-rings.
- The reduction in propeller clearance caused the propeller tips to make contact with the uneven grass surface during taxiing.