What happened
On 15 August 2006, a Jabiru UL-D, registration G-JAAB, was involved in a ground accident at Rochester Airport, Kent. The aircraft was engaged in a private flight with one pilot and one passenger on board.
Following engine start, the pilot taxied the aircraft from the main apron toward the threshold of Runway 20 via a grass taxiway. During this taxi, the aircraft encountered a small bump in the taxiway surface. This impact caused the nose gear suspension arm to fail, leading the propeller to strike the ground. The pilot immediately performed an emergency engine shutdown, and both occupants safely vacated the aircraft without any injuries.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft to determine the cause of the structural failure. The inspection focused on the nose leg suspension bracket and the damage sustained by the nose leg suspension arm, the front wheel spat, and the propeller.
During the post-accident examination, it was noted that only a portion of the suspension was visible due to the configuration of the gear. This led to the possibility that the bracket may have sustained damage during a previous flight, though the primary failure occurred during the taxiing sequence at Rochester.