Incident Overview
On Wednesday, 8 October 2003, at 19:00 local time, a Reims Aviation F-177-RG aircraft, registration EC-BZX, experienced a nose gear collapse during the landing roll at A Coruña Airport. The aircraft was on a training flight with a student pilot and an instructor on board. The flight originated from Chaves Airfield (LPCH).
Sequence of Events
The approach and landing were conducted normally. During touchdown, the crew noticed the nose dropping excessively and attempted to maintain nose-up attitude and reduce speed to minimize damage if the nose gear was not extended. The aircraft continued its rollout supported by the main landing gear and the lower forward fuselage until it came to a stop on the runway. Both occupants evacuated without assistance. No fire occurred, and airport firefighters responded but did not need to intervene.
Aircraft and Crew Information
The instructor, aged 25, held a valid commercial pilot license with an instructor rating. He had 582 total flight hours, with approximately 538 hours on type. The aircraft had a valid airworthiness certificate and was maintained according to an approved schedule.
Post-Incident Examination
After the aircraft was removed from the runway, the landing gear system was tested and found to function correctly in all aspects. The nose gear extended after the main gear, with a time difference consistent with the normal design and operation of the extension mechanism. No evidence of malfunction was found in previous flights or after the incident.
Probable Cause
The investigation determined that the most probable cause was that the landing gear was still in transition because it had been deployed too late to allow full extension before touchdown.