What happened
On July 19, 2010, a Cirrus SR-22, registration PR-JCW, was performing a navigation flight from Rio Verde, GO, to Brasília, DF. The flight, carrying a pilot and one passenger, was approaching the private grass runway at Fazenda Piquet (SSGP) under visual flight rules.
As the aircraft touched down, the nose gear (strut) failed. The impact caused the nose and propeller to strike the ground, leading the aircraft to slide 60 meters along the runway before coming to a stop off the centerline. The pilot and passenger were uninjured, but the aircraft sustained heavy damage to the nose gear and propeller blades.
The investigation
CENIPA investigators examined the wreckage and the runway conditions. Physical evidence from the nose gear strut showed fractures that indicated a forward-facing impact force, rather than a standard vertical landing load. This suggested the nose gear hit the ground with significant forward momentum.
Investigators also noted that the runway at Fazenda Pี่quet featured a significant 12% longitudinal slope. The investigation focused on how the aircraft's approach profile interacted with this steep gradient. Additionally, investigators noted that debris from the initial impact had been moved by others before the official investigation team arrived, which could have complicated the reconstruction of the accident dynamics.
Findings
- The primary contributing factor was the influence of the runway environment, specifically the steep 12% longitudinal slope, which reduced the pilot's margin for error during the transition from approach to flare.
- The pilot likely failed to adequately adjust the aircraft's pitch or height during the flare, resulting in a nose-low attitude where the nose gear contacted the ground before the main gear.
- The aircraft was within weight and balance limits, and the pilot was fully qualified and experienced for the flight.
- The runway was dry and unobstructed, but its steep gradient made the transition to landing more sensitive to control inputs.