What happened
On April 6, 2011, a Robin DR400-120, registration F-GOVN, was performing a local flight at Sarreguemines aerodrome. The flight, operated by a local flying club, began with a departure toward Colmar carrying one passenger. Upon returning to the airfield, the pilot performed a reconnaissance of the facilities before entering a left-hand downwind pattern for the unpaved runway 23L.
During the landing phase, the aircraft experienced several bounces on the runway. This sequence of impacts resulted in the failure of the nose gear, causing the aircraft to slide approximately 40 meters before coming to a rest on its nose. The aircraft sustained heavy damage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight parameters and the pilot's execution of the landing. The pilot reported that the final approach was flown with flaps in the landing configuration at speeds between 130 and 140 km/h. This exceeded the manufacturer's recommended approach speed of 110 km/h for this configuration, though the pilot noted that the club's local recommendation was 130 km/h.
Wind conditions at the time were recorded at approximately 5 knots from 240 degrees. The pilot admitted to reducing power too late and failing to complete the flare sufficiently, which led to a harsh three-point touchdown. Furthermore, the pilot noted that they did not initiate a go-around after the initial bounce, instead allowing the aircraft to settle and bounce a second time.
Findings
- The initial bounce was caused by a combination of excessive approach speed and an incomplete flare.
- The failure of the nose gear was a direct result of the pilot's decision not to execute a go-around following the first bounce, allowing the subsequent impacts to compromise the landing gear structure.