Accident
A training aircraft was executing a landing at Čáslav Air Force Base during a joint training exercise. On touchdown, the aircraft was in a nose-down attitude, leading to two bounces. The nose landing gear subsequently failed, and the aircraft began to skid along the runway surface. Because the aircraft could not decelerate sufficiently within the remaining runway length, it overran the end and entered an adjacent open field. After coming to a stop, the aircraft fuselage broke into two sections and a fire erupted. Twenty-three individuals were on board: fourteen Russian soldiers and nine Czech soldiers. Seven occupants sustained injuries, two of which were classified as serious. The aircraft suffered partial destruction from the fire.
Investigation
Official investigators examined the accident and issued a probable cause determination. The report identified that the approach was improperly configured, resulting in a landing speed of 260 km/h, which was excessive. Furthermore, the aircraft touched down in a nose-down attitude, generating a g-load on the nose gear estimated between 1.6 and 3.3 g. This load caused the nose gear to collapse, initiating the chain of events.
Probable Cause
Wrong approach configuration on part of the crew who completed the landing at an excessive speed of 260 km/h and in a nose-down attitude, causing the nose gear to collapse due g-load estimated between 1.6 and 3.3 g.