History of the Flight
On 5 August 2017, a Piper PA-18-150 aircraft, registration EC-JBP, operated by Sunfly, S.L., conducted two banner-towing flights from Sabadell Airport (LELL). The morning flight lasted 2 hours 30 minutes. After a second flight of approximately 2 hours, the aircraft returned to the airport at 17:18 local time (UTC+2). The pilot, the sole occupant, was cleared to release the banner and land on runway 13. On short final, the pilot experienced a sudden loss of altitude and initiated a go-around, but the left landing gear leg impacted the runway before the aircraft could climb. After a fly-by for visual inspection, the pilot proceeded to land again on runway 13. Approximately 70 meters into the landing roll, the left main landing gear leg collapsed. The left wingtip struck the ground, and the aircraft dragged for about 30 meters, veering right and exiting the runway into a parterre before stopping on the paved area of runway exit B.
Injuries to Persons
The sole occupant, the pilot, was not injured.
Damage to Aircraft
The aircraft sustained significant damage to the left main landing gear leg, where one of the mounting lugs for the shock cord was broken. Additional damage occurred to the left wingtip and the propeller. Two runway edge reflectors and cable trays were also broken.
Personnel Information
The pilot, a 32-year-old Spanish national, held a commercial pilot license (CPL(A)).
Meteorological Information
The report does not specify weather conditions, but the flight was conducted under VFR.
Wreckage Information
The final position of the aircraft was on the paved area near runway exit B, after a ground track that included a gradual right turn and a sharp left turn upon exiting the runway.
Investigation Findings
The investigation determined that the accident occurred due to a hard impact of the landing gear during the landing, which caused a fracture of one of the lugs that holds the shock cords for the struts comprising the landing gear. No other causal factors were identified.