Incident Overview
On 28 November 2001 at approximately 1305 UTC, a General Avia F22-A, registration G-FZZA, sustained damage to its propeller and nose landing gear during a landing at Welshpool Aerodrome. The aircraft was operated on a private flight with one pilot and one passenger aboard; no injuries were reported.
Sequence of Events
According to the pilot, the aircraft was returning to Welshpool from a local flight lasting about 70 minutes. While joining the circuit from the dead side of Runway 22, the engine began to splutter. The pilot checked the carburettor temperature gauge and carburettor heat control, confirmed the electric fuel pump was on, the mixture was rich, and both magnetos and the fuel selector were engaged.
As the spluttering worsened, the pilot feared an immediate engine stoppage, made a Pan call, and turned toward the airfield. He also issued a general radio call to alert other aircraft of his intention to land.
Approaching the field, the pilot realized he was not well positioned regarding speed and height. He deployed full flap to reduce speed. The aircraft struck the runway at an estimated speed of 70 kt, then ballooned. The pilot, recognizing the situation was deteriorating and fearing an overrun, decided not to go around due to the engine's condition. He called to his passenger to brace, and the aircraft came to a halt with a collapsed nose leg.
Ground Observations
A senior official of the airfield operating company heard the Pan call from the operations office and proceeded to the viewing area. He observed the aircraft approaching at high speed, estimated at 120 kt. After traveling about halfway along the runway, the pilot appeared to force the aircraft onto the surface. It then made three severe bounces before the nose leg collapsed.
Emergency services reached the scene within 90 to 120 seconds. No fuel spillage was observed during the incident or recovery operation.
Post-Incident Findings
When electrical power was applied, the flap indicator showed the flaps were not fully lowered, consistent with an external estimate of flap position. The fuel gauge indicated empty. The Chief Engineer could extract less than one litre of fuel from the tank. The Aircraft Flight Manual specifies an unusable fuel quantity of 1.5 litres. Refuelling records were insufficient to determine the precise fuel contents at takeoff.