Jump to content

Foxbat lands safely at Moorabbin with damaged nosegear.


Recommended Posts

A Foxbat with 2 on board damaged the nose landing gear in an aborted landing at Moorabbin around midday today, causing the airport to be closed for a while. The aircraft completed couple of circuits and made a successful forced landing on a mattress of foam, with a collapsed nose wheel. Occupants were uninjured.

 

foxbat.JPG.46009648800f02bb3165abc2e7678f64.JPG

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting that the nose wheel could be pushed back so far in an aborted landing and they still had a prop.

 

One would have thought there was a big chance of a ground strike, not to say it hadn't I guess.

 

Good to see they are safely down.

 

 

  • Agree 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As a Foxbat owner, that looked really fast. (could'nt see any flap??) I'm doing touch and goes to walking pace and the front wheel never touches the ground.

 

I don't think the low speed performance is all that different in a Vixen.....

 

I was going to say perhaps a solo student but I see there's 2 on board.

 

 

  • Agree 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As a Foxbat owner, that looked really fast. (could'nt see any flap??) I'm doing touch and goes to walking pace and the front wheel never touches the ground.I don't think the low speed performance is all that different in a Vixen.....

I was going to say perhaps a solo student but I see there's 2 on board.

Unfortunately there are those that will try to 'DRIVE' Foxbats (and Vixens) onto the ground, much too fast, and there are a few broken nosewheels around the place.

Even flapless, a Foxbat should not touch the ground above 45kts, and the nosewheel probably shouldn't touch till below 30kts.

 

This is such an easy aeroplane to land...

 

 

  • Agree 6
  • Informative 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

No idea what happened here, either in the first incident to damage the nosewheel or in the emergency landing so will refrain from speculating. Nobody hurt thankfully and of interest as it is a relatively new type on the register.

 

I own a Foxbat and have flown the Vixxen a couple of times. They have the same wing and both stall at ~ 27 kts full flap. But the Vixxen is much less draggy and does not wash off speed as much in the flare. A little too fast and it will float... and float ..and float. Once again, have no idea what happened here but it is going to be more prone to the drive it on kind of issue than the Foxbat.

 

I wonder if the nosewheel damage compromised rudder control - can't see on the video if it is moving much.

 

 

  • Informative 2
  • Winner 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ch7 News just reported it as an emergency landing when the nose wheel failed to lock !They never disappoint !

Spotted that, too. At least they didn't compound the error by giving a make of aircraft. Cessna survives another plummet to earth.

 

OME

 

 

  • Like 1
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The weak nose wheels were the Achilles heel of early Foxbats but they've progressively beefed them up with several design revisions. This Vixen nose wheel should have been the beneficiary of that legacy of an improved strong nose wheel. Just guessing, therefore, that on a previous touch and go the pilot may have subjected it to a very serious side loading (x wind / gusts?) &/or wheel barrow. New to type also? I trust Peter Harlow from Foxbat Australia will be seriously investigating that on this new type.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I trust Peter Harlow from Foxbat Australia will be seriously investigating that on this new type.

Yes! and seriously investigate the method being used,by the pilot, to do a touch and go and landing!

 

 

  • Agree 3
  • Winner 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Touch and go Frank or smash and oh no go like this one

Alf, I like to believe that everyone does the best they know how but some of the results I keep seeing on here, really have me shaking my head.

 

Continuous talk about learning from past mistakes, yet they keep happening!...Where`s the solution? Is there really one?

 

Frank.

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let me flaunt my ignorance; the foam is a fire-retardant NOT a 'soft landing' cushion (True/false). It was not a forced landing as the engine was working along with all controls (true/false). If I were to find myself in a similar situation in my Jabiru, I would kill all electrics and fuel on short final and then the mags during the hold-off so I don't wreck my prop or engine.

 

 

  • Agree 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let me flaunt my ignorance; the foam is a fire-retardant NOT a 'soft landing' cushion (True/false). It was not a forced landing as the engine was working along with all controls (true/false). If I were to find myself in a similar situation in my Jabiru, I would kill all electrics and fuel on short final and then the mags during the hold-off so I don't wreck my prop or engine.

Well Moorabbinhas one of the smoothest runways in the Nation, you have luxury of landing into wind most of the time on a huge width of runway, there apparently was an instructor on board and they overshot the fire retardant strip almost completely.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you dump the flap after touchdown on the mains you can hold the nose wheel off for quiet along time on the A22 not sure of the A32 but assume it's very similar .I would guess they have approached too fast and tried to force it on the ground and ended up porposing down the runway and damaging the nose leg just speculation at this stage .

 

 

  • Agree 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jab 7252 I don't see why you would remove your option of a go around if things demanded it. It doesn't have to be a "must land this time" situation. The foam confuses me. I thought those days were over and they wouldn't do it anymore. If it WAS needed they didn't really get the benefit of it and it may have added confusion. I don't know. Nev

 

 

  • Agree 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...