What happened
On July 14, 2015, a TECNAM P2008JF, registration F-HRON, was performing a local flight departing from Lyon Bron aerodrome with a pilot and one passenger. During the return to the airfield, the pilot initiated an approach to runway 34 at an indicated airspeed of 65 knots, which exceeded the 54-knot approach speed specified in the flight manual.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft bounced. A second bounce occurred following a three-point contact, followed by a third bounce during which the pilot reported feeling vibrations in the control column. During the fourth contact, the aircraft settled on its main landing gear, but the nose subsequently descended until the propeller and engine cowling made contact with the ground. The impact resulted in the rupture of the nose gear and heavy damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of the landing and the structural integrity of the landing gear. Investigators examined the broken nose gear component, which confirmed that the failure was caused by an overload. The pilot's flight experience was also reviewed; at the time of the accident, the pilot had accumulated 90 total flight hours, with 32 hours flown in the preceding three months, though none of those hours were on this specific aircraft type.
Findings
- The primary cause of the gear failure was a structural overload resulting from repeated bounces during the landing sequence.
- The approach speed of 65 knots was higher than the recommended 54 knots.
- The pilot noted that an aborted approach (go-around) should have been performed after the initial bounce.
- The pilot indicated that recent flight training in a dual-control configuration might have improved the decision-making process during the incident.