What happened
On February 29, 2008, a Bucker 1131 E, registration EC-GIO, was conducting a local flight departing from Granada Airport. The flight was intended as a familiarization mission for one of the two commercial pilots on board. During a maneuver involving a landing followed by a takeoff, the aircraft experienced a hard landing that primarily impacted the left main landing gear. The crew reported that the aircraft unexpectedly dropped toward the ground while approximately one meter above the runway.
Following the initial incident, the crew performed a circuit and returned to the runway for a second landing. During the subsequent taxiing phase, the left landing gear leg failed, causing the aircraft to veer off the left edge of the runway. There were 0 fatalities and 0 injuries among the two crew members. The aircraft sustained minor damage, specifically to the tip of the lower left wing and the landing gear assembly.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight dynamics during the takeoff-landing maneuver. The crew consisted of a pilot with 4-32 hours of experience in this specific type and a second pilot with only 7 hours in the model. The investigators analyzed the mechanics of the landing gear and the aerodynamic behavior of the biplane during the transition from flight to ground contact. The investigation focused on why the aircraft lost altitude unexpectedly just before touchdown.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was an unintended aerodynamic stall occurring just before touchdown, likely resulting from a premature pitch-up maneuver during the landing flare.
- The hard landing caused structural stress to the left main landing gear.
- The subsequent failure of the left gear leg during taxiing led to the aircraft exiting the runway.
- Weather conditions at the time of the occurrence were not a significant factor in the accident.