What happened
On September 28, 2021, a training flight was being conducted over the Skorupy landing field involving a student pilot and an instructor. During the approach to landing, the student pilot applied excessive and rapid back-pressure on the control stick at an altitude of only a few meters above the ground. This maneuver caused the Skyranger ultralight aircraft, registration SP-SLEP, to enter a stall.
In an attempt to correct the error, the instructor pushed the control stick forward. However, the aircraft struck the grassy surface of the airfield with significant force and bounced. Following the impact, the instructor took full control of the aircraft, increased engine power, and performed a second approach. During the subsequent circuit, the crew performed a visual inspection of the main landing gear and determined it was undamaged, though the condition of the nose gear could not be verified.
During the second landing attempt, the instructor attempted to delay the touchdown of the nose gear as long as possible. However, the nose gear—which had lost its wheel during the initial impact—dug into the turf. The aircraft came to a halt, resulting in damage to the propeller. The crew exited the aircraft without injury.
The investigation
The PKBWL examined the sequence of events surrounding the flight maneuvers, the physical impact of the aircraft with the terrain, and the subsequent mechanical failure of the nose gear during the second landing attempt.