Incident Overview
On 15 August 2006 at 1805 UTC, a Jabiru UL-D aircraft, registered G-JAAB, was involved in an accident during taxi at Rochester Airport, Kent. The aircraft was powered by one Jabiru 2200B piston engine and had been manufactured earlier that year. The flight was conducted under a Private license, with the commander holding a National Private Pilot’s Licence. The commander, aged 38, had accumulated 88 hours of total flying experience, of which 36 hours were on type. The aircraft carried one passenger.
Flight History
According to the pilot’s report, after engine start, the aircraft taxied slowly from the main apron along a grass taxiway toward the threshold of Runway 20. During this taxi, the aircraft encountered a small bump on the taxiway. At that point, the nose gear failed, causing the propeller to strike the ground. The pilot executed an emergency shutdown, and both the pilot and passenger vacated the aircraft without injury.
Damage and Inspection
Post-accident inspection revealed that the nose leg suspension bracket had failed. The damage included the nose leg suspension arm, the front wheel spat, and the propeller. The pilot noted that only part of the suspension is visible during a standard walk-around inspection, and it is possible the bracket had been damaged during an earlier flight.
Conclusion
The aircraft’s nose gear failure occurred after traversing a small bump on the grass taxiway, leading to propeller ground contact. No injuries were reported among the two occupants.