What happened
On 12 December 1999, a DH104 Dove 8, registration G-ARHW, was performing a private flight from Fairoaks Aerodrome to Cumbernauld Airport near Glasgow. The flight arrived at the destination at 1734 hrs, during darkness. Prior to landing on Runway 26, the pilot verified the landing gear configuration via the selector panel, which showed the gear was down and locked.
During the approach, the pilot noted being high during the early stages, though he believed the correct glide slope had been achieved by the time of the flare. Upon touchdown, the left tyre burst, which subsequently led to the collapse of the left main landing gear. This caused the aircraft to slew to the left and exit the runway, eventually coming to a stop in the grass area south of the runway. There were no injuries to the pilot or the two passengers on board.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the lighting conditions at the airfield, noting that while the runway edge lighting and APAPI were functional, the approach lights were unserviceable. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's actions during the landing phase and the mechanical sequence of the gear failure.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained damage to the left wing and propeller, along with the collapse of the left landing gear.
- The pilot's assessment indicated that the primary cause was flaring the aircraft too high, which resulted in a heavy landing impact.
- The burst of the left tyre was a direct consequence of the landing forces applied during the touchdown.