Occurrence
On 7 December 2018 at 10:11 local time, a solo flight by a 28-year-old female pilot in an AT-3R100 (registration HA-BHL) ended in an accident at Esztergom airfield (LHEM). The aircraft sustained substantial damage, including separation of the nose gear and bent propeller blades, but no personal injury occurred.
Aircraft and Pilot
The aircraft was a Polish-designed AT-3R100, a low-wing, two-seat, fixed tricycle gear monoplane powered by a single Rotax 912 S2 engine. It was manufactured in 2017 with serial number AT3-081. The pilot held a Private Pilot Licence (Aeroplane) with SEP (Land) and LPE Level 4 endorsements. She had accumulated 62:38 total flight hours, with 6:54 on the accident type. Her training had started in May 2018 through a Hungarian training organisation, and she passed her licence test in June 2018.
Flight and Approach
The pilot took off from the grass strip 20 at LHEM for a local flight to build hours, flying at approximately 3,000 feet above sea level. The take-off, climb, and cruise were uneventful. During the approach, while setting the flaps for landing, the pilot released the yoke and throttle to operate the flap lever with both hands. The throttle lever's friction knob had not been tightened, allowing the lever to creep forward. Engine RPM increased to 4,100 for 16 seconds, corresponding to cruise power. The pilot did not react to the increasing RPM until after this period, then throttled back. The engine ran at idle for 23 seconds until impact.
Landing and Damage
The aircraft touched down on the turf strip, resulting in a hard landing. The nose gear separated, all three propeller blades bent, and the spinner, cowling, and engine mount were damaged. The aircraft came to rest on its nose 260 metres past the threshold of runway 20. The investigation found no surface irregularities that could have caused the nose gear separation.
Analysis and Findings
The pilot stated she needed both hands to operate the flap lever, leaving the controls unattended. The loose friction knob allowed the throttle to advance, causing the aircraft to deviate from the approach path. The pilot became confused and mentally overloaded, failing to consider a go-around. The investigation attributed the accident to human factors, including inadequate pre-tightening of the friction knob, delayed recognition of the throttle creep, and the pilot's limited experience in managing the unexpected situation. No safety recommendations were issued.