Incident Overview
On 21 August 2003, a SOCATA TB 200 GT (Tobago), registration CS-DEL, operated by Academia Aeronáutica de Évora, was conducting a solo VFR navigation training flight (mission 26B) between Évora and Portimão, Portugal. The aircraft departed Portimão at 12:44 UTC for the return leg to Évora. Soon after, while flying at 3,000 ft near Aljezur, the pilot encountered haze and clouds covering the Serra de Monchique, losing visual contact with the ground. After descending to 2,000 ft in an attempt to regain visual reference, the pilot was unsuccessful and decided to abort the mission and return to Portimão.
Flight History
The pilot contacted the Flight Information Service (FIS) and later Faro Approach, which provided radar vectors back to Portimão. At 13:04 UTC, while maintaining 2,500 ft, the pilot requested vectors. By 13:08 UTC, visual contact with the aerodrome was established, and the pilot was handed off to Portimão Aerodrome Information Service, which reported moderate turbulence on final approach. The pilot experienced moderate turbulence during the approach but attempted to maintain a stabilized speed.
The landing on runway 29 was hard, with the main landing gear contacting the runway firmly. The aircraft bounced, and upon the subsequent touchdown, the nose wheel struck the runway violently. The nose wheel tire burst, the nose wheel rim scraped the asphalt, and the propeller contacted the ground three times before the engine stopped. The aircraft veered left and came to rest approximately 220 meters from the displaced threshold of runway 29, at an angle of about 30 to 40 degrees to the centerline, with the nose off the left edge of the runway.
Aircraft Damage
The aircraft sustained minor damage to the propeller tips and nose wheel fairing. The nose wheel tire burst, and the rim suffered frictional wear from sliding on the asphalt for about 90 meters, leaving a groove in the runway surface. No other aircraft damage was noted.
Pilot and Injuries
The pilot, a 19-year-old female Dutch student pilot enrolled in an integrated pilot training course at Academia Aeronáutica de Évora, was the sole occupant. She held a valid student pilot certificate (PLAA card No. 07/03) and had a total flight experience of 26:55 hours dual and 6:00 hours solo, all on the SOCATA TB 200 GT. Her last aeronautical medical examination, conducted on 2 October 2002, resulted in a Class 1 medical certificate with no limitations. The pilot was uninjured in the incident.