What happened
On October 28, 2021, a SOCATA TB-10, registration EC-FTG, operated by Adventia European Aviation College S.A., was conducting a solo instructional flight at Salamanca Airport. The flight, which involved a navigation exercise through the Valladolid CTR, concluded with an approach to runway 21.
During the landing phase, the student pilot performed the approach using crosswind techniques. Upon touchdown, the pilot noted that the nose wheel appeared to sink deeper than usual. This was immediately followed by a sharp bounce that lifted the nose high, leading to a sequence of increasingly violent bounces. During these impacts, the aircraft began to veer toward the left. The force of the impacts caused the nose gear to collapse, and the aircraft slid along the runway before coming to a stop near the left edge of the paved surface.
There were no injuries to the pilot, who was able to evacuate the aircraft unaided. However, the aircraft sustained significant damage, including the nose gear strut, nose gear support, propeller, engine mount, and various fairings.
The investigation
Investigators examined the structural integrity of the nose gear components and the maintenance history of the aircraft. The analysis of the nose gear support (S/N 486) confirmed that the component was within its service life limits and was up to date with all required 100-hour and 2000-hour inspections. No signs of fatigue or corrosion were found on the gear elements.
The investigation also reviewed the maintenance management practices of the operator's maintenance organization (SENASA). While the component was compliant, investigators identified a potential risk in how the 2000-hour overhaul intervals for specific rotatable parts were tracked within the fleet's dynamic maintenance documentation.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the inadequate execution of the landing, which resulted in a heavy impact of the nose gear against the runway.
- The nose gear support was properly maintained and showed no pre-existing defects or fatigue.
- The flight school's existing procedures did not explicitly provide instructions on how to recover from a landing bounce.
- The maintenance organization's tracking system lacked a specific entry for the nose gear support's 2000-hour overhaul, though the part itself was within limits.