What happened
On 23 July 2020, a PS-28 Cruiser, registration EC-NAO, was performing a solo instructional flight from Burgos Airport to Valladolid Airport. The flight was originally intended for Logroño, but the destination was changed due to weather conditions.
While approaching runway 23 at Valladolid, the student pilot was operating at an altitude significantly lower than required. Due to the change in destination, the pilot had failed to verify the specific traffic pattern altitude for Valladolid, mistakenly flying at 3,000 feet—the altitude required for the original destination—when the aircraft was actually less than 300 feet above the ground.
During the final approach, the pilot focused on maintaining the runway centerline and managing the low altitude, which led to a failure to monitor airspeed. The aircraft's speed dropped below 60 knots, causing it to stall and strike the runway. The impact caused the aircraft to bounce several times. On a subsequent impact, the nose gear collapsed and the wheel fork detached, causing the aircraft to slide along the runway on its buckled nose leg until it came to a stop. The student pilot was unharmed.
The investigation
The CIAIAC examined the aircraft wreckage, maintenance records, and flight data. The investigation found that the aircraft's maintenance was up to date and no pre-existing mechanical defects were found in the nose gear or the mounting bolts. The investigation also reviewed the training organization's (ATO) standard operating procedures, noting that the student's approach was unstable and that the ATO's internal checklists contained speed discrepancies compared to the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH).
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was a poorly executed landing that resulted in the nose gear impacting the runway and collapsing.
- A contributing factor was the pilot's failure to adhere to established approach and landing procedures.
- The pilot's focus on ground proximity and centerline alignment led to a neglect of airspeed monitoring.
- The change in flight plan without adequate time to reassess the new destination's terrain and pattern altitude contributed to the excessively low approach altitude.
- The investigation noted that the aircraft's speed was below the required parameters, leading to a stall and subsequent hard landing.