Accident to the Diamond DA20 registered F-GNQB on 25/04/2023 at Gray-Saint-Adrien
Loss of nose wheel during take-off, collapse of nose gear during landing
The following information is principally based on the pilot’s statement. This information has not been independently validated by the BEA.
1. History of the flight
The pilot, accompanied by a passenger, took off from runway 26 at Vesoul – Frotey aerodrome bound for Gray-Saint-Adrien.
During the landing on runway 25 at Gray-Saint-Adrien, the aeroplane slowed down considerably. The pilot perceived a noise of metal rubbing coming from the nose of the aeroplane. He suspected a problem with the nose wheel and kept a nose-up attitude.
As the aeroplane slowed down, the nose gear collapsed, the propeller touched the ground and broke. The aeroplane veered to the right and came to rest parallel to the right edge of the runway, approximately 100 m after the nose gear touch-down.
Figure 1 : marks from nose gear touchdown and ground run
The pilot and passenger evacuated the aeroplane and saw that the nose-wheel was missing.
It was found during the runway inspection at Vesoul Frotey.
The situation had not been detected before the landing: there was no onlooker on the ground (AFIS officer or controller), at the departure and arrival aerodromes. The aeroplane’s behaviour in flight was unchanged.
2. Additional information
The pilot held a valid aeroplane private pilot licence. He had logged around 300 flight hours of which 200 hours on type.
The meteorological conditions reported by the pilot were as follows: visibility greater than 10 km, scattered clouds at 4,500 ft.
F-GNQB is a Diamond DA20, two-seat aeroplane with a fixed tricycle landing gear.
The parts found on the runway of the departure aerodrome were as follows:
- fork, wheel and fairing assembly, still together;
- nut, threaded bolt and pin, still together;
- stop plate and thrust washer.
Figure 2: parts found on the departure aerodrome (source: pilot)
The fracture surface of the threaded bolt appeared to be partially corroded. The club has scheduled a technical examination of the components found at the departure aerodrome to determine the cause.
The maintenance workshop checked the club's other DA20. No anomalies were found.