What happened
On 31 May 2009, at approximately 15:41 UTC, a CEA DR300/180R, registration G-BVYG, departed from the Ulster Gliding Club performing a private flight involving the towing of a glider. During the initial climb, the glider pilot observed the aircraft's right main wheel detach and fall away. After reaching the standard release altitude, the glider was successfully released from the tow rope. Following coordination with Air Traffic Control, the pilot proceeded to conduct an emergency landing on the disused Runway 02 at the City of Derry Airport, Northern Ireland. There were no injuries to the pilot, and the aircraft sustained damage to the right landing gear leg and the associated wheel brake.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical integrity of the landing gear assembly. It was established that the main wheels of the CEA DR300/180R are secured using a specific arrangement consisting of a collar and a tapered pin, which is further secured by a split pin.
Records indicated that on 28 May 2009, just three days prior to the accident, the wheel had undergone replacement. During this maintenance task, the technician performing the work was interrupted by another duty for a significant period. The investigation noted that the person responsible for the reassembly was not present to complete the process, and there was a concern that the incorrect or incomplete fitting of the wheel components may have occurred due to this distraction.