Incident Overview
On 23 March 2019 at 1030 UTC, an Ikarus C42 FB100 (registration G-CIIN) operating a training flight from Tandragee Airstrip, Craigavon, County Armagh, experienced a hard landing that resulted in damage to the right landing gear and subsequent collapse of the nosewheel.
Flight Details
The aircraft was conducting circuit training with an instructor and a student pilot on board. The instructor reported that the student was having difficulty with rounding out and holding off during landing. The instructor decided to demonstrate the correct landing procedure to provide the student with the proper visual reference.
Accident Sequence
As the instructor was holding off, the aircraft landed hard, causing the right landing gear to collapse. The aircraft veered to the right. The instructor immediately turned off the magnetos to stop the engine. The aircraft came to rest on the edge of a river bank to the right side of the grass runway. After turning off the master switch and the fuel valve, the instructor and student exited the aircraft unharmed. Shortly afterward, the nosewheel collapsed, and the aircraft slid a short distance down the river bank.
Response and Injuries
Neither the instructor nor the student sustained any injuries. Passers-by notified emergency services, but after the instructor and an off-duty paramedic confirmed no injuries or fuel leaks, emergency services did not attend.
Instructor's Observations
The instructor noted that a slight crosswind may have contributed to the student's difficulties, but this was not cited as a direct cause of the hard landing. The instructor also considered that the nosewheel collapse may have resulted from side loads after the right landing gear collapse or when the aircraft entered soft ground at the river bank edge.
Damage
The aircraft sustained damage to the right landing gear and the nosewheel.