What happened
On May 13, 1967, a Bölkow-208-Junior, registration HB-UPF, was performing a landing at the Lommis airfield. During the landing sequence, the aircraft experienced a series of hard impacts with the runway. Following these repeated heavy landings, the nose gear of the aircraft collapsed.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of the landing maneuver and the structural response of the landing gear. Investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the touchdown and the subsequent mechanical failure of the nose wheel assembly.
Findings
It was determined that the pilot likely failed to perform a sufficiently smooth flare during the final approach. This resulted in multiple hard landings that placed excessive stress on the aircraft's structure, ultimately causing the nose gear to buckle.