Description
On 16 October 2022, a serious incident occurred at EPKW aerodrome involving an Evektor SportStar RTC aircraft, registration SP-RTC. The previous day, 15 October 2022, solo training flights had been planned for a student pilot. An instructor and the student conducted a preflight inspection according to the Flight Manual. Before the student’s solo flight, they performed three check flights along the aerodrome traffic circuit. The instructor had no concerns and allowed the student to proceed with solo flights.
The student completed two solo flights without incident. During the third landing, the student judged the flare phase to be too high. In an attempt to correct this error, the student pushed the control stick rapidly. This resulted in a touchdown on the nose wheel, causing a collision of the propeller blades with the concrete runway and a bounce of the aircraft. The instructor on the ground did not react in time to the student’s error.
After the bounce, the aircraft touched down again and came to rest. A postflight inspection revealed no damage to the airframe. The student did not suffer any injuries.
Cause
The State Commission on Aircraft Accidents Investigation (SCAAI) determined that the cause of the incident was a high flare phase combined with a rapid push of the control stick, which led to a touchdown on the nose wheel and a propeller strike on the runway.
Contributing Factors
The SCAAI identified two contributing factors: the student’s limited flight experience, and improper landing planning resulting in the high flare.
Preventive Measures
The operator proposed preventive measures, which were accepted by the commission. It was recommended that instructors in the organization pay special attention to student errors during landings, and instruct students on how to correct a high flare and react in the event of a bounced landing. No additional safety recommendations were formulated.