What happened
On 1 September 2004, a Vans RV-6A, registration G-RVCG, was conducting a test flight on behalf of the Popular Flying Association at Wellesbourne Mountford Aerodrome. The pilot, who was performing the flight as a representative for the association, had been airborne for approximately 95 minutes.
Following a successful landing on Runway 18, the pilot applied power with the intention of performing a touch-and-go maneuver. During this acceleration, a grating noise was heard, and the pilot perceived that the nosewheel had made contact with the asphalt runway. Recognizing the unusual sound, the pilot aborted the takeoff and brought the aircraft to a stop within the remaining runway length. Upon exiting the aircraft, the pilot discovered that the nose leg had been bent and the yoke had rotated rearwards, causing the nose of the aircraft to rest on the assembly. There were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger during the event.
The investigation
The investigation examined the structural integrity of the nosewheel assembly, which is a modification on the standard RV-6 tailwheel design, featuring a steel leg attached to the engine mount. Investigators noted that the nosewheel yoke bore distinct scrape marks from contact with the runway surface.
While the possibility of excessive assembly torque causing high drag loads was considered, the assembly torque was found to be within normal limits, and the tire showed no evidence of skidding. Metallurgical analysis confirmed that the nose leg itself met all required design specifications. The investigation also noted that this was one of several recorded instances involving nose leg collapses in UK-registered RV-6A aircraft.
Findings
- The nosewheel yoke made direct contact with the asphalt, creating significant drag that likely contributed to the further distortion of the leg.
- The nose leg was likely deflected by an excessive vertical load applied during the touch-and-go sequence, a force greater than the pilot had anticipated.