What happened
On April 10, 2023, a Textron Aviation Inc. 182T, registration LV-KGT, was performing a general aviation flight from Tancacha to the El Guri landing strip in Córdoba, Argentina. During the landing phase at approximately 18:10 UTC, the aircraft experienced an abnormal contact with the runway surface.
The aircraft initially bounced upon contact with the ground. In an attempt to maintain a nose-high attitude, the pilot increased the pitch angle, which led to a second impact. This second contact was more severe, causing the nose gear to impact the ground, resulting in the loss of the nose wheel and its fairing. A third bounce occurred, during which the landing gear strut dug into the earth and detached completely. The propeller subsequently struck the runway surface, and the aircraft slid approximately 2/6 meters along the ground, covering a total distance of 88 meters from the initial contact point.
The investigation
Investigators from the JST examined the wreckage and interviewed the pilot to reconstruct the flight dynamics. The investigation focused on the sequence of impacts and the aircraft's behavior during the flare. The aircraft, operated by Actra S.A., sustained significant damage to the nose gear, propeller, and fuselage, though there were no injuries to the occupants.
Findings
- The aircraft likely performed an excessive flare during the final approach.
- This high flare resulted in a loss of airspeed and an increased angle of attack, leading to a stall at a significant height above the runway.
- The aircraft underwent three distinct bounces on the runway surface.
- During the final two contacts, the aircraft impacted the ground on its nose gear, leading to the structural failure of the gear and propeller contact with the ground.