AAIU Reports

Please see the below Preliminary Report.

 

NOTE: This Preliminary Report contains information, as known at this time, and does not contain analysis or conclusions. This information is therefore subject to change and may contain errors; any errors in this Report will be corrected in the Final Report.

 

 

The Pilot departed from the garden at his residence for a one hour local flight. This site was where the gyroplane was based. At the end of the flight he made a normal approach to land back in the garden. On final approach at low height, the gyroplane experienced some sink. The Pilot applied power but the gyroplane landed somewhat heavily, the nosewheel leg fractured and the gyroplane toppled over sustaining substantial damage.

 

The Pilot was uninjured.

 

 

Following a normal approach to land, the aircraft ballooned and then bounced on the runway. As the aircraft became airborne again, the Pilot applied power to arrest the descent. The aircraft yawed to the left. It touched down on the grass to the left of the runway in a nose-down attitude, sustaining substantial damage.

 

 

The aircraft was operating a multi-sector cargo rotation, with the first sector from Shannon Airport (EINN) to Cork Airport (EICK). After its earlier arrival at EINN, the aircraft was parked adjacent to the east apron hangar where loading took place.

 

Following engine start, the aircraft commenced its taxi with a slight right turn towards the lead-out line to the taxiway. During the turn, while under marshaller’s instructions, the left wing-tip came into contact with the hangar cladding. No persons were injured. Although the aircraft carried a small quantity of dangerous goods, they posed no hazard as a result of the impact. The parking area used at EINN was not suitable for an ATR 72 as this is a larger aircraft than the ATR 42 which was normally used for this operation.

 

 

Following an uneventful landing at Coonagh Airfield (EICN) and while the aircraft was decelerating to a slow speed on the runway, the Pilot experienced difficulty in maintaining directional control. The aircraft slowly veered to the left side of the runway and encroached onto the soft grass verge. The nose wheel collapsed and separated. The aircraft pitched nose down, damaging the propeller. There were no injuries to the two persons on board.

 

 

The aircraft, which was on a scheduled passenger flight, carried out a go-around from its first approach to Runway (RWY) 25 at Cork Airport (EICK) in stormy weather, due to a significant increase in indicated airspeed on short final. The aircraft then positioned under radar control for a second approach to the same runway. Its track brought it south of EICK, close to the coast and at times over the sea. During this time, a thick layer of sea salt formed on the front windscreens, obscuring the Flight Crew’s forward visibility. As it was not possible to acquire the necessary visual references for landing, a second go-around was flown.

 

The Flight Crew flew the aircraft to areas of shower activity and a small portion of the Commander’s windscreen was cleared. A third approach was flown to a successful landing.

 

The microlight aircraft was attempting to take-off from a private grass airstrip, with two occupants on board. It became airborne but then failed to climb away. It landed in a field adjoining the airstrip, sustaining substantial damage. There were no injuries.

Please see the below Preliminary Report.

 

NOTE: This Preliminary Report contains information, as known at this time, and does not contain analysis or conclusions. This information is therefore subject to change and may contain errors; any errors in this Report will be corrected in the Final Report.

 

 

The Pilot was attempting to take-off from Runway (RWY) 25 at Fethard Airfield. The aircraft lifted momentarily from the runway. It then settled back on the runway when the Pilot adjusted the aircraft pitch with forward control column input. This resulted in a loss of airspeed. The Pilot decided to discontinue the take-off. During the subsequent roll-out, the aircraft departed the runway end, onto soft ground, where the nose wheel collapsed and the propeller struck the ground. There were no injuries.

 

 

A Student Pilot was carrying out his first landing in a twin-engined aircraft. Following a normal touchdown, the Instructor noticed that the aircraft was drifting to the right and that the starboard wing was starting to drop. The Student and Instructor both attempted to maintain directional control of the aircraft. However, the two right-hand propeller blades made contact with the runway surface and the aircraft departed the paved surface to the right. Subsequent examination showed that the right-hand landing gear had collapsed due to a fatigue failure of the A-frame, which is part of the landing gear down-lock mechanism. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. There were no injuries.

 

Two Safety Recommendations have been made as a result of this investigation.