Incident Overview
On June 25, 2017, a Piper CUB aircraft was departing from the Kraków-Czyżyny airfield (EPKC) for a display when the pilot heard a sound of impact with the concrete runway. Suspecting damage to the tailwheel, the pilot informed the flight director via radio. A low pass over the runway and flight director position revealed no visible tailwheel damage, but a pilot in a second aircraft participating in the display noted that the main landing gear appeared abnormally positioned.
Sequence of Events
In response, the pilot decided to change the landing location and proceed to the grassy strip at Pobiednik Wielki (EPKP). After coordinating this decision with the flight director, the Piper, escorted by the second aircraft, flew to EPKP. The escort aircraft landed first to arrange emergency landing support. Once fire trucks were positioned along runway 27, the pilot announced the intention to land via radio. Approaching the threshold of runway 27, the pilot switched off the ignitions, closed the fuel valve, and touched down at minimum speed. During the final rollout phase, the aircraft tilted onto its right wing, turned approximately 5° to the right, and came to rest supported by the right wingtip, as shown in Figure 1.
Inspection Findings
The pilot, uninjured, exited the cockpit and subsequently inspected the damaged main landing gear. The inspection revealed a fracture of the main landing gear support at the weld point, as depicted in Figure 2. No other damage was identified.
Cause
The cause of the incident was determined to be the poor condition of the concrete runway surface at the departure airfield. The report comments that the surface condition and obstacles in the vicinity disqualify Kraków-Czyżyny for aviation use and recommends its removal from the civil aviation register.