On August 2, 2017, a Gippsland Aeronautics Pty Ltd GA-8 (registration VH-MQI) operated by Arnhem Land Community Airlines was involved in an aviation accident near Djamardi ALA, (Jimarda ALA), Northern Territory. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's incorrect response to decreasing airspeed, specifically lowering the nose, led to an unrecoverable high descent rate and a subsequent hard landing. This summary draws on records from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB); 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
An aircraft sustained significant structural damage following a hard landing caused by an improper pilot response to decreasing airspeed during final approach.
What happened
During the final stages of the approach, the pilot noticed that the aircraft's airspeed had dropped below the required threshold. To address this loss of speed, the pilot chose to lower the nose of the aircraft. This maneuver resulted in an excessive rate of descent that could not be corrected before the aircraft struck the ground. The impact of the hard landing caused structural damage to the main undercarriage legs, the fairings, and the cargo pod.
The investigation
Investigators examined the sequence of events leading to the impact. The analysis focused on the pilot's actions in response to the airspeed fluctuations. It was determined that the decision to lower the nose, while intended to regain speed, directly contributed to the uncontrolled descent rate.
Probable cause
The pilot's incorrect response to decreasing airspeed, specifically lowering the nose, led to an unrecoverable high descent rate and a subsequent hard landing.