AAIB investigation to Escapade, G-CGNV
Right landing gear bungee failure during taxi, Sandown Airport, Isle of Wight, 24 June 2015.
Summary:
The aircraft had landed normally and was taxiing at about 5 kt when the right wing tip suddenly dropped and hit the ground; the engine stopped. The aircraft was shut down and the pilot and his passenger exited via the left door. The cause of the wing drop was a failure of the right main gear bungee. A friend of the pilot’s, who had built his own Escapade, examined the aircraft to provide a repair assessment. He was not able to examine the bungee because it was tangled with rope and was supporting the aircraft. However, he observed that the back-up wire had failed in tension due to the bungee releasing suddenly. He did not note any damage to the other landing gear components, including the bungee strut, the gear leg and the ‘V’ brace.
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