What happened
On July 11, 2019, a PS-28 CRUISER, registration EC-NAO, was performing a solo cross-country flight from Pajares de los Oteros to Burgos Airport. During the landing phase on runway 04, the aircraft experienced a heavy impact with the pavement. The nose gear struck the runway 400 meters from the threshold, causing the gear to collapse and the aircraft to bounce twice. Following the impact, the aircraft slid 105 meters along the runway before coming to a stop. The pilot, who was a student pilot with 59 total flight hours, was uninjured.
The investigation
The CIAIAC investigation focused on the sequence of events during the final approach. The pilot reported seeing a small bird in the immediate path of the aircraft during short final. In an attempt to avoid the bird, the pilot performed an evasive maneuver by pitching the nose up and then immediately back down. This action resulted in the nose gear striking the runway with excessive vertical velocity.
Investigators examined the aircraft and found significant damage to the propeller blades and the nose gear assembly, which had detached from the airframe. The investigation also noted that while the aircraft lacked flight recorders, the physical evidence on the runway—specifically the impact mark and the aircraft's final position—confirmed the high-energy nature of the contact. Meteorological conditions were favorable, with light winds and high visibility.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the nose gear contacting the runway at a vertical velocity high enough to cause structural collapse.
- The pilot's attempt to avoid a bird via a sudden pitch maneuver directly led to the abnormal impact.
- The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the propeller and the nose gear strut.
- There were no mechanical deficiencies found in the aircraft's maintenance history or airworthiness status prior to the event.