What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 07/18/2025 at approximately 01:40 pm local, a Pipistrel Alpha Trainer aircraft, operated by an instructor pilot as the pilot in command (PIC), sustained damage to the nose landing gear, landing light and engine propeller blade tips after landing touch down on runway two (2), at the Hartford Brainard airport (khfd) in Connecticut. An interview with the PIC was conducted at the scene. The PIC stated that there was a student pilot on board the aircraft at the time of the incident and was receiving flight instruction training that day. The PIC stated there were no injuries. The PIC stated that on the approach, short final at approximately 400 – 500 feet, he took control of the aircraft from the student pilot to complete the landing phase of the flight. The PIC stated that during the descent to runway 2, once stabilized, he flared the aircraft, entered ground effect, and a gust of wind lifted the nose of the aircraft. The PIC stated that the airspeed dropped causing the aircraft to sink and the nose landing gear touched down on the runway resulting in a porpoising effect. The PIC stated that the aircraft bounced about 2 to 3 times on runway 2. The PIC stated that he tried to maintain centerline control of the aircraft, however, the wind kept pushing the aircraft to the right of centerline causing the aircraft to depart the runway pavement and into the grass area about ten feet from the runaway pavement. The PIC stated that’s when the nose landing gear collapsed, and the aircraft came to a stop. The PIC stated that once the aircraft came to rest, he powered down the aircraft, exited the aircraft with the student pilot and waited for the first responders to arrive. The PIC stated that he thought the damage to the propeller occurred when the nose landing gear collapsed in the grass area. Upon inspection of runway 2, at approximately 1,000 feet from the runaway threshold, there were markings on the pavement and wood debris consistent with an aircraft propeller strike. The aircraft was removed from the runway by maintenance personnel and towed to a hanger. The aircraft is currently still under maintenance for repairs. The aircraft return to service is pending.
As the FAA filed it
ON 07/18/2025 AT APPROXIMATELY 01:40 PM LOCAL, A PIPISTREL ALPHA TRAINER AIRCRAFT, OPERATED BY AN INSTRUCTOR PILOT AS THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC), SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE NOSE LANDING GEAR, LANDING LIGHT AND ENGINE PROPELLER BLADE TIPS AFTER LANDING TOUCH DOWN ON RUNWAY TWO (2), AT THE HARTFORD BRAINARD AIRPORT (KHFD) IN CONNECTICUT. AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PIC WAS CONDUCTED AT THE SCENE. THE PIC STATED THAT THERE WAS A STUDENT PILOT ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT AND WAS RECEIVING FLIGHT INSTRUCTION TRAINING THAT DAY. THE PIC STATED THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE PIC STATED THAT ON THE APPROACH, SHORT FINAL AT APPROXIMATELY 400 – 500 FEET, HE TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE STUDENT PILOT TO COMPLETE THE LANDING PHASE OF THE FLIGHT. THE PIC STATED THAT DURING THE DESCENT TO RUNWAY 2, ONCE STABILIZED, HE FLARED THE AIRCRAFT, ENTERED GROUND EFFECT, AND A GUST OF WIND LIFTED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PIC STATED THAT THE AIRSPEED DROPPED CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO SINK AND THE NOSE LANDING GEAR TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RUNWAY RESULTING IN A PORPOISING EFFECT. THE PIC STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED ABOUT 2 TO 3 TIMES ON RUNWAY 2. THE PIC STATED THAT HE TRIED TO MAINTAIN CENTERLINE CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, HOWEVER, THE WIND KEPT PUSHING THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT OF CENTERLINE CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO DEPART THE RUNWAY PAVEMENT AND INTO THE GRASS AREA ABOUT TEN FEET FROM THE RUNAWAY PAVEMENT. THE PIC STATED THAT’S WHEN THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP. THE PIC STATED THAT ONCE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST, HE POWERED DOWN THE AIRCRAFT, EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE STUDENT PILOT AND WAITED FOR THE FIRST RESPONDERS TO ARRIVE. THE PIC STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THE DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER OCCURRED WHEN THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED IN THE GRASS AREA. UPON INSPECTION OF RUNWAY 2, AT APPROXIMATELY 1,000 FEET FROM THE RUNAWAY THRESHOLD, THERE WERE MARKINGS ON THE PAVEMENT AND WOOD DEBRIS CONSISTENT WITH AN AIRCRAFT PROPELLER STRIKE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE RUNWAY BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AND TOWED TO A HANGER. THE AIRCRAFT IS CURRENTLY STILL UNDER MAINTENANCE FOR REPAIRS. THE AIRCRAFT RETURN TO SERVICE IS PENDING.
Other reports on N520AT · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.