What happened
On July 7, 2002, at 15:10 local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registration EC-BOF, was performing a solo instructional flight from Reus Aerodrome to Sabadell Airport. The flight was being conducted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). Upon arrival at Sabadell, the pilot was assigned runway 13 for landing. During the landing sequence, the aircraft experienced several bounces on the runway. During the final bounce, the nose gear collapsed, causing the propeller to strike the ground.
The aircraft remained on the runway and required assistance from the airport's fire services to be removed. The pilot sustained no injuries. Meteorological conditions at the time included visibility greater than 10 km and a wind from 210 degrees at 5 to 10 knots.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft and identified several structural failures within the nose gear assembly, specifically the spring, the strut, and the wheel fork. The investigation established that the strut broke due to the impact of one of the bounces, which simultaneously caused the fork to bend. During the subsequent recovery of the aircraft, the spring opened, causing the wheel to separate from the gear assembly. Additionally, the propeller tips were found to be bent backward, consistent with contact with the runway while the engine was running at a speed slightly above idle.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the nose gear collapse resulting from improper landing technique during a crosswind component.
- The pilot, an instructor student with 45 total flight hours, failed to execute the specific crosswind landing procedure taught in some flight schools for this aircraft type. This procedure involves increasing speed by 5 KIAS, maintaining alignment via drift correction, and landing the upwind wheel first before allowing the nose wheel to touch down.
- The presence of a crosswind, although light, complicated the maneuver and the pilot's lack of advanced training prevented the correct execution of the landing.