History of the Flight
On 27 November 2008, a Beech Sundowner C-23, registered PK-ANX, operated by the Indonesian Civil Aviation Institute as a training solo flight, departed from Budiarto Airport, Curug, Tangerang, at 04:40 UTC (11:40 local time). The aircraft carried one occupant, a student pilot. The aircraft landed on runway 22L under crosswind conditions of 12 knots from 270°. During the landing roll, the student pilot felt excessive vibration from the nose wheel. She attempted to push the rudder pedal but found that her seat had retracted backward, preventing her from reaching the pedals. The aircraft became uncontrollable and came to a stop approximately 929 meters from the threshold of runway 22L.
Injuries and Damage
No injuries were reported. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. There was no damage to other property or the environment.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a Beech Sundowner C-23, registration PK-ANX, manufactured by Beechcraft. The aircraft had been involved in four previous accidents during its operation with the institute and had been repaired and maintained accordingly.
Findings
Investigation revealed that the shimmy damper, located on the nose wheel and intended to absorb vibrations during ground roll, was not functional due to the presence of vapor inside, which prevented it from reducing vibrations. Additionally, the pilot's seat locking mechanism, which uses a pin inserted into a track hole secured by a handle, was found improper: the pin was not correctly inserted into the hole track because the locking handle was not properly engaged.
Probable Cause
The aircraft was not controllable during the landing roll because the pilot's seat retracted backward due to the seat locking handle not being properly locked, and the shimmy damper was not functioning properly, causing vibrations.