Incident Summary
On 21 July 2002 at 1520 UTC, a Gulfstream AA-5B Tiger, registration G-DONI, was landing at Compton Abbas, Wiltshire, following a cross-country flight from Shoreham. The pilot, holding a Private Pilot's Licence with 158 hours total experience (2 on type), was the sole crew member with one passenger on board. Neither occupant was injured. The aircraft sustained damage including destruction of the nose landing gear, bent propeller tips, and distortion of the engine bulkhead and underside of the cowl.
Approach and Landing
The pilot initially joined the circuit to land on Runway 26 with a slight tailwind component. After touching down with full flap (40°) at about 75 kt, the pilot aborted the landing and executed a go-around, judging that the aircraft would not stop before the end of the runway. The AFISO then announced that the runway in use would be changed to Runway 08 after two aircraft in the circuit (including G-DONI) landed and two waiting aircraft departed. The pilot of G-DONI deferred landing until the runway change, as did the other circuit aircraft. Both held off until the two ground aircraft departed.
Upon rejoining the circuit for Runway 08, the pilot completed all checks and made another approach with full flap and a threshold speed of 75 kt, reducing to 70 kt for touchdown. The aircraft touched down on the main wheels, followed quickly by the nose wheel, and bounced. The pilot corrected for a left wing drop and held the nose up for the second touchdown. A loud bang was heard, the aircraft pitched forward onto its nose, and slid to a halt on the runway. The pilot secured the fuel and electrical systems before vacating with the passenger, unaided. The aircraft was later moved clear of the runway.
Aftermath
Subsequent inspection by a maintenance organisation revealed that the nose landing gear leg had folded backward from a point just ahead of the shock absorber attachments. The wheel had contacted the fuselage underside. The suspension torque tube was fractured about eight inches either side of the nose-leg attachment at the centre of the tube, and local damage to the firewall bulkhead was noted at that location.