What happened
On 9 May 2018, a DIAMOND DA20-C1, registration EC-MQT, was involved in an incident at the La Axarquía aerodrome in Vélez-Málaga during a solo training flight. The student pilot was performing a series of circuits as part of his initial solo flight training.
During the landing phase, the aircraft touched down on runway 12. At the moment of contact, the aircraft's main and nose landing gears hit the runway simultaneously at a speed of 65 KIAS, which exceeded the manufacturer's recommended speed of 55 KIAS. This impact caused the nose gear fork coupling to detach from the landing gear leg.
The instructor, who was monitoring the flight from the ground, observed the detachment and immediately instructed the pilot via radio to abort the landing. Following the detachment, the student pilot performed a go-around. After coordinating with emergency services, including firefighters and medical personnel, the pilot executed an emergency landing on the runway centerline. The pilot was uninjured, and the aircraft sustained only minor damage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical failure of the nose gear and the maintenance history of the aircraft. Investigators examined the condition of the nose gear components and the maintenance records of the Part 145 organization responsible for the aircraft.
Technical analysis revealed that the flanged bushings for the nose leg pivot showed signs of corrosion and insufficient lubrication. While the components had been inspected during a 200-hour maintenance check less than a month prior, the investigation found that the corrosion and wear should have been detected during that service. Furthermore, the investigation noted that the aircraft, used for flight training, had undergone 127 landings in just seven days, placing high stress on the landing gear.
Findings
- The incident was caused by the detachment of the nose gear fork coupling during a hard landing.
- The pilot attempted to land at 65 KIAS, significantly higher than the recommended 55 KIAS.
- The simultaneous contact of the main and nose gear with the runway placed excessive stress on the nose gear assembly.
- Corrosion and a lack of lubrication were present on the nose gear pivot bushings.
- The aircraft's high utilization rate (127 landings in 7 days) contributed to the increased mechanical stress on the landing gear.
Safety action
- It is recommended that the manufacturer, DIAMOND AIRCRAFT INDUSTRIES, INC., consider including takeoff and landing cycles as a specific criterion for scheduled maintenance inspections of the DA20-C1, in addition to existing hour-based or time-based intervals.