What happened
On June 16, 2000, at approximately 21:15 local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registration EC-DLM, was performing a VFR flight from Castellón to Valencia Airport. After receiving clearance to land on runway 30, the aircraft made contact with the runway. Following touchdown, the aircraft began to veer to the left and entered a ground loop. During this maneuver, the right landing gear collapsed, causing the right wing to scrape along the pavement. The aircraft came to a stop on the left side of runway 30 near the intersection with taxiway B, leading to a temporary suspension of runway operations. There were no fatalities and no injuries among the two occupants.
The investigation
The investigation examined the mechanical condition of the aircraft, specifically inspecting the control surfaces and the braking system. No mechanical failures were identified in these components. Meteorological data from Valencia Airport (METAR) indicated favorable weather conditions at the time of the incident, with calm winds and high visibility, suggesting that environmental factors did not contribute to the event.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the pilot's lack of experience with the specific aircraft type. At the time of the occurrence, the pilot had only 15 hours of flight time in this particular model.
- The aircraft is a taildragger, a configuration that requires greater skill for directional control on the ground using brakes and rudder compared to tricycle gear aircraft.
- The aircraft sustained significant damage to the right wing, landing gear, and tailwheel.