What happened
On June 1, 2022, a student pilot was conducting a solo cross-country flight as part of a private pilot license course. The flight originated from Tenerife South Airport (GCTS), included a stop at El Hierro Airport (GCHI), and concluded at the El Berriel aerodrome (GCLB) in Las Palmas.
During the landing phase at El Berriel, the aircraft experienced a series of bounces on the runway. While the pilot initially attempted a go-around after the first contact, a second bounce occurred. During this second impact, the nose gear struck the runway, causing the nose gear strut to separate from the airframe and remain on the pavement. The pilot was unaware of the gear loss until instructed by flight instructors watching from the ground. Following the guidance of the instructors, the pilot successfully completed a landing without the nose gear, resulting in no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
Investigators examined the structural integrity of the nose gear and the landing sequence. Analysis of the left tubular strut support revealed a fracture caused by static loading, primarily in tension. The investigation found that the impact load exceeded the design limits of the component.
Technical examination of the fracture surfaces showed a bright, flattened area, indicating that the surfaces rubbed against each other during the failure process. The investigation also noted that the aircraft was equipped with the original design of the strut support. While the manufacturer, Tecnam, had issued Service Bulletin 528 to replace the original support with a redesigned, more rigid version to increase safety margins during hard landings, the operator had elected not to implement the upgrade at the time of the accident.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced two bounces on the runway during the landing attempt.
- The second bounce caused the nose gear to strike the runway, leading to the structural failure of the left strut support.
- The impact load was a high-magnitude static load acting primarily in tension.
- An inadequate landing technique and failure to properly recover from the runway bounces caused the nose gear to detach.
- The operator had not yet replaced the original nose gear support with the redesigned version recommended in the manufacturer's service bulletin.