History of the Flight
The pilot, a flying instructor with a Commercial Pilot’s Licence, was conducting an introductory circuit lesson. During the third touch-and-go landing on Runway 27R, the aircraft crossed the threshold at 65 kt and a power-off landing was executed. The pilot described the initial touchdown as soft, but shortly after, he and the student felt the aircraft hit a divot, causing it to become airborne again in a nose-high attitude. The pilot moved the control column forward and applied power to arrest the rate of descent. On the second touchdown, the left main landing gear collapsed. The pilot opened the throttle to commence the touch-and-go, but despite control inputs, the aircraft began to drift left across the runway. The pilot immediately abandoned the takeoff and attempted to keep the aircraft on the runway. Just before stopping, the aircraft ground looped and came to rest facing the opposite direction.
Damage to Aircraft
The left main landing gear collapsed. The maintenance organisation that repaired the aircraft reported that the left main landing gear securing bolt (part number 401 511) had failed, causing the left landing gear to collapse. Heavy landing checks were carried out and no further damage was found.
Condition of Runway
An airfield guide describes the surface at Manchester Barton as ‘undulating in places’. The Operations Manager reported that they conduct a full daily inspection of the runway and that he was unaware of any divots or holes in the area where the aircraft touched down.
Probable Cause
The cause of the accident was the failure of the left main landing gear securing bolt.