What happened
On June 30, 2010, a TL-132 Condor micro-light aircraft, registration PH-2V4, was conducting a local training flight at Lelystad Airport. The flight involved a student pilot and an instructor. Following four successful landings and take-offs, the aircraft was performing its fifth and final landing of the session.
While the landing itself was successful, an irregularity in the runway surface caused the nose wheel to lift off the ground during the subsequent landing roll. In response to this unexpected movement, the student pilot pushed the control stick forward abruptly. This sudden downward movement of the nose caused the nose gear to strike the ground with enough force to break. Consequently, the aircraft flipped over and came to rest upside down.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the accident report from Lelistad Airport and a written statement provided by the instructor. The inquiry established that the student pilot, who was training for a restricted pilot license with approximately 18 hours of total flight time, reacted to the nose wheel lifting due to surface unevenness with an extreme control input. The instructor, an experienced pilot with approximately 2,500 total hours, noted that the student had been performing well and was nearing solo capability. Because the student's performance had been consistent, the instructor did not anticipate such a reaction and was unable to intervene in time to prevent the nose gear failure.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the abrupt forward control input by the student pilot following the nose wheel lifting from the ground.
- An unevenness in the landing area caused the nose wheel to lose contact with the runway during the roll.
- The force of the nose wheel impact following the control input was sufficient to cause the gear to break.
- The instructor did not provide timely corrective action because the student's recent performance had been high, leading the instructor to not expect such a sudden error.
- The aircraft sustained severe damage to the propeller, engine cowling, windshield, both wings, and the tail section.
- Both occupants sustained light injuries and were able to exit the aircraft unaided.