What happened
On January 9, 1973, a student pilot was conducting solo flight training at the Les Eplatures aerodrome. Following several successful approaches, the pilot was instructed to perform a standard circuit. During the final approach, the pilot realized the aircraft was too high. In an attempt to maintain a specific touchdown point, the pilot pushed the elevator control forward. This maneuver resulted in the Beech A2-19 (registration HB-ENO) touching down at an excessive speed of approximately 80 mph, striking the nose wheel first. The aircraft underwent a series of three increasingly violent bounces before the nose landing gear collapsed, causing the aircraft to come to rest on its nose on runway 06.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight maneuvers and the mechanical state of the aircraft. The pilot, an experienced student with approximately 28 flight hours, was found to be in good health and holding a valid student pilot license. The aircraft, a Beech A23-19, was fully airworthy and properly maintained, with no technical failures identified as contributing to the event. Meteorological conditions at the time were clear with good visibility and a light wind.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was excessive airspeed during landing.
- The pilot's decision to push the elevator to correct a high approach caused an unintended increase in speed.
- The pilot failed to pull back on the elevator to arrest the excess speed before touchdown.
- The subsequent series of bounces placed unsustainable stress on the nose gear, leading to its structural failure.
- There were no injuries to the pilot, though the aircraft sustained heavy damage.