Pilots had lucky escape after propellor hits runway at Navan airfield

Two pilots escaped without injury following a crash at the Navan Airfield in May last year.

The Bolkow BO-209 Monsun aircraft, with two German pilots on board, hit the grass runway on landing.

The pilots escaoed uninjured and got out of the aircraft unaided. There was no fire as a result of the accident.

A report from the Air Accident Investigation Unit found the aircraft’s nose landing gear was not extended prior to landing, resulting in damage to the propeller and engine cowlings, and the engine being shock-loaded.

It found the airworthiness certification for the aircraft was valid, the pilot-in-command was appropriately licensed for the flight, but had limited experience on the aircraft type and the ‘for descent’ checklist on board the aircraft was not of a conventional layout and some of its contents may have been obscured on the occurrence flight.

The plane took-off from Runway 09 at Navan Airfield with two occupants on board at 12.55pm on 14th May last year.

The nose landing gear was retracted after take-off, as normal. Following one circuit of the airfield, a landing on the same runway was carried out. During the landing roll, the propeller and the lower engine cowling made contact with the surface of the grass runway, as the nose landing gear had not been extended prior to landing. The aircraft’s propeller and engine cowlings sustained damage.

The aircraft’s occupants, both of whom were pilots, were members of a group that had recently purchased the aircraft. They arrived into Ireland from Germany on the morning of the accident and intended to perform what was described as ‘a short check flight’, comprising one circuit at Navan Airfield (EIHH), before flying back to Germany in the aircraft. The pilots had received familiarisation training in the aircraft a number of weeks previously.