Accident
On July 7, 2002, at 15:10 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 (registration EC-BOF) occupied by a 19-year-old student pilot was conducting a solo instructional flight from Reus Aerodrome to Sabadell Airport. The flight, planned for 45 minutes, was conducted under visual flight rules. Upon arrival, the pilot was assigned Runway 13 for landing. During the touchdown, the aircraft bounced several times on the runway. On the final bounce, the nose gear collapsed, allowing the propeller to strike the ground. The aircraft came to rest on the runway and was subsequently removed by the airport fire service. The pilot was uninjured.
Aircraft and Conditions
The aircraft, manufactured in 1968, was a single-engine Piper PA-28-140 powered by a Lycoming O-320-E2A engine. At the time of the accident, weather conditions at Sabadell Airport included visibility greater than 10 kilometers and wind from 210 degrees at 5 to 10 knots, resulting in a crosswind component relative to Runway 13.
Investigation
Examination of the aircraft revealed damage to the nose gear, including a broken scissors, strut, and fork. The investigation indicated that the strut broke during one of the bounces, causing the fork to bend. As the aircraft recovered from the bounce, the scissors opened, separating the wheel from the strut. The propeller tips were bent backward from contact with the runway at an engine speed slightly above idle.
Regarding the crosswind, the source notes that landing with a crosswind exceeding 4 knots is taught in some schools for this aircraft using a specific procedure. It states that the crosswind conditions, though low intensity, likely hindered the pilot's maneuver, and given his training level, he could not execute the landing correctly.