What happened
On July 27, 2001, at 15:40, a PIPER PA28-161 Warrior II, registration EC-DHN, departed from Tenerife North Airport (Santa Cruz de Tenerife) for a local flight under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). The aircraft was being operated by a student pilot conducting their first solo flight.
During the landing phase on runway 30, the aircraft maintained a nose-low attitude, which led to a heavy touchdown. This impact caused the aircraft to bounce, necessitating an immediate second touchdown. The aircraft eventually came to a stop on the centerline of the runway, approximately 300 meters from the threshold, where airport services moved it to the parking area.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the impact forces during the initial touchdown and the resulting structural damage. The examination established that the force of the landing was sufficient to cause the nose gear cowling to detach and resulted in damage to the fork, wheel, lower engine cowling, and the engine mount. Additionally, the propeller tips were bent due to contact with the runway surface.
Findings
- The primary cause of the damage was a nose-low attitude during the final approach.
- The approach angle was steeper than normal, which made the flare maneuver more difficult to execute properly for a pilot with limited flight experience.
- The student pilot, who had 34 total flight hours, remained uninjured.