What happened
On April 25, 2017, a Cessna T182T operated by MARAT sp. z o.o. completed a series of five circuit training flights at EPRG aerodrome. Following the conclusion of the flight operations at approximately 08:35 LMT, the pilot began hangarage procedures. During this period, the pilot discovered damage to the tips of two of the three propeller blades, which exhibited signs of abrasion and slight bending. Simultaneously, the pilot noted a loss of pressure in the nose gear tire, which had become completely deflated approximately 10 minutes after the aircraft had landed.
During the flight and subsequent ground operations, the pilot reported no specific phenomena or environmental conditions that could have contributed to the damage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on determining the origin of the propeller blade deformation and the cause of the sudden tire deflation. Investigators examined the physical state of the propeller, noting that only two of the three blades were affected. The nature of the damage—specifically the localized abrasion and bending—suggested a very brief contact between the propeller arc and the ground surface.
Findings
- The damage to the propeller blades was consistent with a momentary contact between the rotating propeller and the aerodrome surface.
- The deflation of the nose gear tire was identified as a contributing factor that may have facilitated the propeller strike.
- The investigation concluded that the most probable cause of the incident was the failure of the nose gear tire, which occurred due to undetermined reasons.