What happened
On 17 July 2013, an Ikarus C42, registration PH-3L3, was conducting a private flight from Carrickmore, County Tyrone, to Bellarena Airfield in County Londonderry. During the final stages of the approach to Runway 30, the aircraft encountered some sink, which the pilot corrected using engine power. As the aircraft passed a four-foot wall located in the runway undershoot area, the pilot reduced the throttle and began the flare at an altitude of approximately 3 feet.
At this stage, the aircraft experienced a stall, leading to a heavy touchdown. The impact caused the left stub axle to shear and resulted in the bending of the nosewheel fork. There were no injuries to the pilot or the single passenger on board.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators reviewed the flight conditions, noting that the weather was good at the time of the occurrence, with winds varying between 170º and 190º at 12 knots. The pilot provided a self-assessment of the error, noting that the aircraft was flying slightly slow and that the flare had been initiated too high.
Findings
- The primary cause of the landing gear damage was a heavy landing following an aerodynamic stall.
- The pilot's attempt to flare at a height of 3 feet while the aircraft was slow contributed to the loss of airspeed and subsequent sink.