What happened
On June 29, 2015, a Robin DR400-140B, registered F-GLVK, was conducting a private flight from Les Mureaux to Rouen. The aircraft was carrying a pilot and one passenger. Upon arrival at Rouen aerodrome, the pilot followed air traffic control instructions to enter the circuit on runway 04, initially establishing a left-hand downwind leg for a touch-and-go maneuver.
The pilot reported that the circuit was flown normally and the final approach was stabilized. However, during the landing phase, the aircraft experienced an initial high bounce, followed by two subsequent bounces. During the third bounce, the pilot heard the stall warning and instinctively applied a nose-down pitch. Upon contact with the ground, the nose gear collapsed, causing the aircraft to slide on its nose and veer off the runway to the right.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of the landing maneuvers and the pilot's reaction to the aircraft's instability. The pilot, holding a private pilot license with approximately 100 total flight hours (including 10 hours in the three months prior to the event), stated that he had never experienced such bounces during landing before. Meteorological conditions at the time of the accident included a 10-knot north wind and a temperature of 23°C.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced a series of three consecutive bounces during the landing roll.
- The pilot's instinctive reaction to the stall warning during the third bounce was to apply a nose-down pitch.
- The structural failure of the nose gear was the direct result of the aircraft's impact with the ground following the pitch maneuver.
Safety action
- When an aircraft bounces during landing, pilots should consider performing a go-around starting from the first bounce.
- If a bounce is minor, it may be possible to manage a second flare smoothly without applying nose-down pitch, using additional power if necessary, though a go-around remains a viable safety option.