AAIB investigation to Pioneer 300, G-GTOM
Nose landing gear collapse, Wadswick Farm airstrip, Box, Somerset, 28 February 2021.
Summary:
The pilot had flown a short maintenance flight and was on a stable approach for Runway 10 at Wadswick Farm airstrip. The pilot reported a moderate bounce after touchdown, applying slight power and then landing normally. He applied the brakes as there was a downslope to the runway and, at a ‘slowish’ speed, the nose landing gear collapsed and the aircraft came to a halt.
The landowner has subsequently filled in several defects in the runway surface, one of which was 6” to 8” deep on the runway centreline, after being notified by several pilots and an LAA Inspector of the rough surface. The pilot assessed the nose landing gear collapse may have been caused by striking a defect in the runway combined with braking for the downslope.
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