What happened
On July 30, 2011, a Short S.C.7 Skyvan landed at the Gransee airfield in Brandenburg, Germany. The aircraft had departed from Wloclawek, Poland, intending to serve as a drop plane for parachuting operations. Prior to arrival, the pilot contacted the airfield controller to inquire about weather and surface conditions. The controller advised that the eastern portion of the grass runway was firmer than the western portion, which had become soft due to recent rainfall.
Upon approaching the runway, the pilot observed two distinct strips of grass—one light green and one darker. After confirming with the controller that the light green strip represented the usable runway, the pilot executed a short landing with full flaps, touching down approximately 60 meters from the start of runway 29 at a speed of 65 knots. While the aircraft initially decelerated normally, a sudden and intense deceleration occurred as the nose wheel made contact with the ground. Mud and water were sprayed onto the windshield, and a loud cracking sound was heard. The nose gear assembly broke and was forced backward into the fuselage, causing the aircraft to veer 30 degrees to the right before coming to a halt. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The BFU examined the aircraft and the airfield conditions following the incident. Investigators found that the lower attachment of the nose gear had broken, and the upper bearing had twisted approximately 30 degrees to the left. The impact caused significant structural damage to the fuselage between frames 22 and 54, including upward displacement of the frame 22 bulkhead and damage to the floor beneath the instrument panel. The rudder pedals were also found to be jammed.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the collapse of the nose gear due to the impact with the soft ground.
- The airfield surface was heavily saturated following a week of continuous rain.
- The left side of the runway was notably softer than the rest of the strip, with visible puddles present on the grass.
- The aircraft's nose gear failed when it encountered the weakened, muddy surface, leading to the structural intrusion into the fuselage.