What happened
On May 2, 2001, at 16:40 local time, a Cessna 337 G, registration EC-HTK, was performing a general aviation business flight from La Axarquía – Leoni Benabú to Melilla Airport. During the approach to runway 33, the pilot configured the aircraft with landing gear and flaps, maintaining a speed of approximately 80 to 90 mph on short final.
As the aircraft passed over the runway threshold, a wind gust destabilized the plane and pushed it to the right. The pilot attempted to correct the deviation, but the aircraft suddenly dropped, struck the runway, and bounced back into the air. During this bounce, the pilot heard the stall warning and lowered the nose. Upon the subsequent contact with the runway, the nose gear collapsed, causing the propeller to strike the pavement. The pilot immediately shut down the engines and exited the aircraft safely.
The investigation
The investigation examined the meteorological conditions and the aircraft's performance limits. Air traffic controllers had provided multiple wind updates during the approach, indicating a wind direction of approximately 300° with speeds varying between 15 and 24 knots.
Investigators analyzed the wind components relative to runway 33. With a wind direction of 300°, the wind hit the runway at a 30° angle. At the maximum recorded wind speed of 24 knots, the calculated headwind component was approximately 20.8 knots, while the crosswind component was approximately 12 knots. This 12-knot crosswind was within the Cessna 337 G's maximum demonstrated crosswind limit of 17 knots.
Findings
- The investigation established that while the steady-state crosswind was within safe limits, the METAR data indicated that the wind direction was variable.
- These fluctuations in wind direction could have caused an instantaneous increase in the crosswind component, potentially reaching the aircraft's maximum operational limit.
- The most probable cause of the incident was the presence of turbulence or a sudden increase in the crosswind component, or a combination of both, during the final landing phase, which caused a sudden descent that the pilot could not correct at such a low altitude.