What happened
On October 29, 2001, at 13:55 local time, a Socata Tobago TB-10, registration EC-FTK, was involved in a runway excursion at Salamanca Airport. The aircraft had departed from Valladolid Airport earlier that afternoon for a cross-country training flight. The pilot, a student with 75 total flight hours, was operating the aircraft solo.
Following a visual approach to runway 21, the pilot completed a seemingly normal touchdown. However, during the landing roll, the pilot lost control of the aircraft, causing it to veer off the left side of the runway. As the aircraft transitioned from the paved surface to the unpaved area, the nose gear collapsed. The aircraft subsequently came to rest on the ground, supported by one of the propeller blades. Additionally, the tip of the right wing made contact with the ground during the excursion. The incident resulted in one unharmed occupant and significant damage to the aircraft, specifically to the nose gear, propeller, engine mount, cowling, firewall, and the right wing edge.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events during the landing phase and the pilot's handling of the aircraft. Investigators examined the environmental conditions, noting that visibility was excellent (greater than 10,000 meters) and wind speeds were approximately 11 knots with no significant gusts. The investigation analyzed the mechanical state of the aircraft and the pilot's actions during the transition from the runway to the unpaved shoulder.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the pilot's lack of proficiency in coordinating braking and nose wheel steering during the landing roll.
- The aircraft's nose gear collapsed due to the impact of exiting the paved runway onto unpaved terrain.
- Meteorological conditions were favorable and did not contribute to the loss of control.