Cessna 172-N Incident at Aeródromo del Moral, Badajoz (EC-DEE)

Incident Overview On 5 May 2018, a Cessna 172-N with registration EC-DEE, owned and operated by Aeroclub de Sevilla, departed Badajoz Airport (LEBZ) for Aeródromo del Moral in Badajoz. The flight was part of an organized event marking the aerodrome's inauguration, with multiple aircraft participating. The pilot and one passenger were on board. ## Sequence of Events The aircraft entered the traffic pattern from the east and made its final approach to runway 34. According to the pilot's account, the aircraft touched down at approximately 65 knots. Upon initial contact with the runway, the aircraft ballooned. The pilot attempted to arrest the climb, but the aircraft descended again and struck the runway with greater force. ## Damage and Aftermath The impact caused the nose-wheel shock absorber to fail and the nose gear to collapse. The aircraft subsequently nosed over, and the propeller struck the ground. The aircraft continued along the runway before exiting onto the right-hand shoulder, coming to rest with its longitudinal axis transverse to the runway. The nose wheel left a 15-meter groove in the runway surface, extending from 1 meter before the threshold marking of runway 34 to 2 meters beyond it. ## Personnel and Aircraft The pilot was 69 years old and held a Private Pilot Licence (A) issued by the Spanish State Aviation Safety Agency (AESA) on 7 March 2013. His medical certificate, Class II, was valid until 30 January 2019. His total flight experience was 100 hours. The aircraft, a Cessna F-172-N with serial number 1517, was manufactured in 1976 and had accumulated 3,978 flight hours at the time of the incident. Its last 50-hour maintenance check was completed on 20 April 2018. The aircraft was powered by a Textron Lycoming O-320-H2ad engine with 1,307 hours of operation. ## Probable Cause The investigation determined that the incident was caused by excessive vertical speed and aircraft attitude during the final approach and landing. This resulted in the aircraft contacting the ground with high energy, which caused the nose wheel to collapse.