What happened
On 20 October 2006, a Glasair III Turbine, registration G-ICBM, was participating in a Licensing Skills Test at Peterborough (Conington) Airfield. The flight was being conducted for training purposes under favorable weather conditions, characterized by good visibility and light winds.
Following a landing on Runway 2le, the pilot was slow to reduce engine power. This delay triggered a pilot-induced oscillation in the aircraft's pitch. During the second cycle of this oscillation, the aircraft pitched downward aggressively. This movement caused the nose landing gear to fail and detach from the aircraft. The aircraft continued along the runway, where the nose leg fork abraded the surface, creating sparks that were initially mistaken for flames by an observer. The aircraft eventually came to a halt on the runway, and the engine was shut down. There were no injuries to the two crew members and no fire was present.
The investigation
Investigators examined the physical damage to the aircraft, which included a detached nosewheel, an abraded nose leg fork, and broken propeller blades. The investigation also considered the possibility of engine shock loading due to the nature of the impact. An eyewitness account from a flying instructor at the airfield was reviewed, noting that the approach appeared faster than usual and describing the visual appearance of sparks during the gear failure.
Findings
- The primary cause of the gear failure was a pilot-induced oscillation in pitch following the landing.
- The pilot's delay in retarding the power contributed to the onset of the oscillation.
- The nose landing gear detached during the heavy pitch-down movement.
- The broken propeller blades and the potential for engine shock loading were consequences of the gear failure and subsequent impact.