Tip over video show bad technique

In this weeks RV Builders Hotline there is a link to a video regarding a UK plane that tipped over. In the video (which is not of the actual tip over flight) you can see that the pilot was not holding the stick back on taxi or keeping the front wheel off the ground during the take off roll. These techniques were the first thing that Mike Seager taught me. If this guy did not practice the correct technique on take off then what was his landing technique like? I know that the rough field could have caused the problem but not doing proper aircraft control is not going to help!

I agree Andy,

Typically, a nose gear pilot lands on the mains and then relaxes the stick allowing the nose gear to drop. This is very bad in a RV-XA. You should maintain back pressure on the stick after touch down and roll out. Hold the nose gear off the ground as long as you can maintaining back pressure the entire time. When the nose finally touches the stick should be in your gut (under normal wind conditions) until shut down. Take off should be with back pressure on the sticvk to get the weight off of the nose gear while taxiing & take off. The nose gear on an RV is nothing more than a kick stand to keep the prop off the ground.

JMHO.

And

Some guys taxiing at Arlington made me wince..I saw a model birds being taxiied way too fast across very rough ground with the front wheel vibrating back and forth.

I treat my nosewheel like it is made of glass and at Arlington we got out and pulled because I simply was not comfortable with the field conditions.

FWIW

Frank

The aircraft involved in this incident was G-RVSA. I've paid very close attention to these nosegear accidents. This particular RV was involved in another incident in 2006. I'm not sure if it was the same pilot, but the 2006 pilot was ATP rated and had 17,000 flight hours.

Reference this incident report from the UK government.

In particular, I would refer you to this section:

The pilot and passenger had planned a flight to Inverness
from a grass strip at Knockbain Farm, near Dingwall, in
Ross-shire. The east-west runway has an up-slope at each
end, with a crest in the middle. The commander reported
that just before the aircraft attained flying speed, which
was at the crest of the runway, the nosewheel suddenly
dug into the ground, causing the aircraft to pitch forward.
This was accompanied by a jolt, which the pilot heard and
felt through the controls. However, he continued with
the takeoff, the aircraft becoming airborne a few seconds
later, but was sufficiently concerned about the event to
carry out a fly-past at the airstrip, where observers on
the ground confirmed that the nose landing gear was
damaged. The leg had been bent aft by approximately
30? and the nosewheel yoke assembly distorted such that
the front of the wheel spat was pointing downwards at an
angle of around 45?.

Click to expand...

Notice that according to his own words, the pilot left the nosewheel on the ground until 'rotation' speed. This is very obviously poor technique for the RV-XA series -- especially on grass.

I would also like to point out that 17,000 flight hours and an ATP rating did not mean this pilot was exercising proper technique. In fact, it sounds like he was more or less flying it like an airliner, which is obviously not what should be happening with an RV on a grass strip.

I have said all along that a lot of these nose gear failures are pilot error and some have me concerned. The 2006 incident in G-RVSA can definitely be attributed to improper pilot technique.