What happened
On 9 June 2001, a Europa aircraft, registration G-OJHL, was performing a circuit-training flight at Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire, Scotland. The purpose of the flight was to practice landings in crosswind conditions. At the time of the incident, runway 31 was active, with winds recorded at 250°/13 kt, gusting to 20 kt, accompanied by rain showers.
As the aircraft decelerated following a landing, the single-wheel main landing gear unexpectedly retracted. This movement caused the propeller to make contact with the runway surface, resulting in damage to the propeller.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical operation of the landing gear selector lever and its associated safety features. The aircraft is equipped with a selector lever that is gated into both the UP and DOWN positions. To prevent the gear from being retracted accidentally while the aircraft is on the ground, a safety latch is integrated into the mechanism. This latch is designed to move into a guide slot under its own weight when the lever is set to the DOWN position, effectively locking the lever in place unless the latch is manually moved out of the slot.
Following the accident, the landing gear selector lever underwent testing. The results confirmed that the safety mechanism functioned correctly and operated according to its design specifications during each selection.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the pilot's failure to ensure the landing gear selector and safety latch were fully engaged in the DOWN position prior to touchdown.
- The pilot's concentration may have been diverted by the high level of attention required to manage the difficult crosswind and rainy conditions during the landing phase.