What happened
On March 8, 2006, a Van Grunsven RV9-A, registration I-FEFE, was conducting a local pleasure flight from Veiano to the Foligno area. During the flight, the pilot experienced a drop in fuel pressure near Montefalco and decided to divert to Foligno Airport for a technical inspection. The pilot was aware that a NOTAM was in effect prohibiting landings at Foligno without prior authorization from ENAC.
During the landing sequence, the aircraft touched down on the grass runway, making contact first with the left main gear, then the right main gear, and finally the nose gear. As the aircraft decelerated, the nose gear dug into a soft area of the terrain, creating a deep furrow. This led to an asymmetric impact that caused the aircraft to overturn approximately 200 meters from the threshold of runway 35. The pilot and passenger were left suspended upside down in their harnesses until they were able to exit the cockpit with the assistance of a bystander.
The investigation
The ANSV investigation examined the physical tracks left on the airfield to reconstruct the landing sequence. Investigators noted that the propeller showed deformation consistent with being in rotation at the moment of impact. The investigation also confirmed that the aircraft's battery connection was severed during the overturn. The medical assessment of the occupants revealed that both the pilot and the passenger sustained multiple injuries and contusions.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was an improper landing maneuver, which resulted in an asymmetric impact with the ground and a subsequent loss of control.
- A contributing factor was a likely bounce on the main landing gear, followed by the nose gear striking a section of very soft ground.