What happened
On October 30, 2011, a private Cessna P337 H, registration N5KU, departed from the Île d'Yeu airfield bound for Le Mans with one passenger on board. Prior to arrival, the pilot monitored the destination airfield's self-information frequency and utilized the ATIS system, which indicated light, variable winds between 140° and 230° at 4 knots.
Following the arrival of a preceding aircraft on runway 02, the pilot elected to land on the same runway. During the approach, the aircraft was positioned in a tailwind component. The pilot deployed the landing gear and flaps, maintaining an airspeed of approximately 75 knots on final approach with full flaps extended. As the aircraft reached a height of about 2 meters above the runway threshold, the pilot attempted to flare. During this maneuver, the pilot felt the aircraft sink and responded by increasing engine power.
The aircraft struck the runway and bounced. During the subsequent oscillations, the rear propeller made contact with the runway surface, and the right landing gear strut buckled. The aircraft continued to move along the runway, during which time the nose tire burst and the front propeller also struck the ground. The aircraft sustained heavy damage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight parameters during the landing phase and the meteorological conditions at the time of the accident. Investigators reviewed the pilot's flight experience, noting that the pilot held a US-issued Commercial Pilot License (Airplane) and had approximately 500 total flight hours, including 180 hours on this specific type. The investigation also confirmed that the wind conditions at 11:00 local time were consistent with the pilot's observations of light, variable winds.
Findings
- The primary cause of the hard landing was insufficient control of aircraft parameters during the flare maneuver.
- The pilot's attempt to compensate for a perceived sink by increasing power during the flare contributed to the loss of control during the touchdown.