What happened
On 23 March 2019, an Ikarus C42 FB100, registration G-CIIN, was conducting a training flight at Tandragee Airstrip in Craigavon, County Armagh. During the session, which involved practicing circuits, the instructor noted that the student pilot was struggling to maintain the correct attitude during the round-out and hold-off phases of landing. Attributing these difficulties to a light crosswind, the instructor decided to perform a demonstration of the proper technique.
While the instructor was demonstrating the procedure, the aircraft experienced a hard landing. This impact caused the right landing gear to collapse, which subsequently forced the aircraft to veer toward the right side of the grass runway. The instructor promptly deactivated the magnetos to shut down the engine. The aircraft eventually came to a stop at the edge of a river bank. After the crew ensured the fuel valve and master switch were off, both the instructor and the student exited the aircraft without any injuries.
Shortly after the initial impact, the nosewheel also collapsed, causing the aircraft to slide a short distance down the river bank. Although passers-by alerted emergency services, responders did not attend the scene because the instructor and an off-duty paramedic confirmed there were no injuries or fuel leaks.
The investigation
Investigators examined the sequence of events leading to the gear failure and the subsequent movement of the aircraft. The investigation focused on the impact of the landing and the subsequent forces applied to the airframe as it moved toward the river bank. The investigation also looked into the environmental conditions, specifically the presence of a slight crosswind during the flight.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was a hard landing during a demonstration of landing techniques.
- The collapse of the right landing gear caused the aircraft to veer off the runway.
- The subsequent collapse of the nosewheel was likely caused by side loads applied to the component following the initial gear failure or when the aircraft encountered soft ground at the river bank edge.