What happened
On 14 March 1999, a Gulfstream AA-5B, registration G-BGPH, was conducting a familiarisation flight at Rochester Airport, Kent. The flight was being operated as a private training session, with the pilot accompanied by a qualified instructor in the right-hand seat. The mission involved flying from Biggin Hill to Rochester to perform a series of touch-and-go landings.
While the initial circuit and landing were completed without incident, the second attempt resulted in a slight bounce before the aircraft settled on all three wheels. Both occupants assessed the impact as being within safe limits and decided to continue with another circuit. Upon applying power for the subsequent landing, the aircraft failed to accelerate as anticipated. The pilot subsequently closed the throttle, after which the nose of the aircraft dipped forward. The propeller made contact with the grass runway, and the aircraft eventually came to a stop at the edge of the runway. There were no injuries to the two crew members or the single passenger on board.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the structural integrity of the nose landing gear and the circumstances surrounding the impact. Following the accident, the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the propeller and the nose landing gear.
Investigators examined the nose landing gear to determine if a pre-existing defect contributed to the collapse. Records indicated that the gear had undergone X-ray inspection approximately six months prior during routine maintenance and had been found to be in serviceable condition. An engineer's post-accident examination found no evidence of prior structural failure or fatigue.
Findings
- The nose landing gear collapsed during the landing sequence.
- The pilot and instructor did not believe the preceding landing was heavy enough to cause structural damage.
- The failure of the nose landing gear was consistent with an overload during the landing process.