What happened
On April 21, 2016, a professional pilot was operating a Skyleader 600 on a flight from Gotartowice (EPRG) to the Biała Podlaska (EPBP) landing field. After arriving at the airfield, the pilot positioned the aircraft on the downwind leg for runway 246° (DS-1). During this phase, the pilot extended the landing gear and confirmed via radio that the gear was down, noting that the landing gear position indicator showed the gear was locked.
The landing itself was performed without incident. After touchdown, the aircraft continued to taxi toward the apron without the use of brakes. However, during the final phase of taxiing, as the pilot initiated a right turn, the nose gear collapsed. The aircraft tilted forward onto the engine, rolled approximately 15 meters, and came to a stop on runway 246° at a 30-degree angle to the right.
No injuries were reported, but the aircraft sustained significant damage. The impact caused damage to the propeller, the coolant and oil radiators, the exhaust system, the upper and lower engine cowlings, the firewall, and the nose gear strut along with its associated control elements.
The investigation
The investigation examined the sequence of events from the landing through the taxiing phase, including the pilot's radio communications and the mechanical state of the landing gear following the collapse.