Accident Notification

This appeared in the March 1999 issue of the Falco Builders Letter.

Accident Notification, G-CWAG Falco F.8L, 23 Feb 99 at Prestwick Airport

After a preflight check in a hangar, the above aircraft was pulled out of the hangar by a passenger using a towbar. The pilot, owner Charles Wagner, told the passenger to remove the towbar while he contacted ATC for "book-out".

Both entered the aircraft, taxied onto the apron, "ran up" the aircraft, taxied to hold, carried out preflight run ups. On entering the runway at approx. 12 noon, the front nosewheel collapsed.

On inspection, it was found that the towbar was still connnected to the nosewheel.

The towbar, one-inch square section steel, was bent back, almost doubled. This had presumably caught on the tarmac of the runway which was raised above the tarmac of the hold and taxiways and been bent over. This force was sufficient to overcome the oversquare lock on the front wheel, permanently distort the nosewheel screwjack, and cause the aircraft to gently nose down onto the engine cowling.

The propeller was damaged. The screwjack was distorted, and the cowling was damaged. The undercarriage gearbox will have to be inspected as the force will have been transferred at 90 degrees on to this.

No injury was sustained either to the pilot or passenger in this incident. Accepting that the responsibility for the incident is the captain's however, injury may very well yet be sustained by the passenger.

Charles Wagner
Glasgow, Scotland

PS. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.


Charles Wagner is not pleased.