Cessna R182 Skylane, G-WIFE

The light aircraft that crashed after its front wheel collapsed on landing last December.   DC Thomson

An investigation into why a private plane nosedived into the runway at Dundee Airport after its landing gear failed has proved inconclusive. 

 The 56-year-old pilot, who was alone in the single-engined Cessna R182 Skylane plane, walked away uninjured from the damaged 35-year-old craft after it crash landed in perfect conditions.

The plane was left with a damaged propeller and forward lower cowlings, while the engine “shock-loaded”, which means it was forcibly stopped by the collision, which happened at 12.14pm on December 18.

The damaged craft was removed from the runway by Tayside Aviation, who were conducting tests on the privately-owned Cessna and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch began an investigation immediately.

However, when their report was published yesterday it stated: “A reason for the nose landing gear failing to lower had not been established at the time of this report.”

The report showed that the pilot held a commercial pilot’s license and had 1,430 hours’ flying experience, 21 of those with that type of aircraft.

The report submitted by the pilot showed that he was on an engineering test flight to check fuel mixture and rpm settings and the weather was fine.

The report states: “The pilot reported that he selected the landing gear down and saw the main gear lower as normal.

“However, he did not see a green ‘gear down’ indicator light until he cupped his hand around the indicator, after which he did see the light.

“Just before touchdown, he heard the ‘landing gear unsafe’ warning horn but ignored it, assuming it to be the stall warning horn.

“The aircraft continued to pitch nose-down after landing and the propeller struck the ground. It slid to a stop on the hard surface runway without the need to apply wheel brakes.

“Photographs taken at the scene showed the nose landing gear to be still retracted with the gear doors closed.”

A spokesman for Dundee Airport said: “The Airport Fire Service reacted entirely in line with standard procedures.

“They immediately respond to any incident of this type.”

http://www.aaib.gov.uk/publications/bulletins/march_2013/cessna_r182_skylane__g_wife.cfm

Story and Photo:   http://www.thecourier.co.uk