Propeller Strike on a Private Strip
At 16:50 local, a PPL holder lands a Cessna 152 on a 700 m private grass strip near Minna. The aircraft porpoises, the propeller strikes the ground and the nose gear collapses; the aircraft slides to a stop. The pilot and his passenger walk out. The passenger has a deep cut on the forehead, which is cleaned and stitched at a nearby clinic, and she is kept overnight for observation. The propeller, engine mount and firewall are visibly damaged. The owner arrives and says they should put the aircraft on a truck that night, 'to keep it quiet', and fly it again after a local engineer 'has a look'. A reporter calls the pilot's phone. The pilot's licence, medical and logbook are in his bag.
1. Is this an accident or an incident, and who must be notified?
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This is an accident, not an incident. ICAO Annex 13 defines an accident as an occurrence in which a person is fatally or seriously injured, or the aircraft sustains damage or structural failure that adversely affects structural strength, performance or flight characteristics and would normally require major repair. Propeller damage alone is often treated as non-substantial, but the collapsed nose gear, damaged engine mount and firewall are structural and clearly qualify. The passenger's injury should be documented; even if it does not meet the 48-hour hospitalisation threshold, the substantial damage makes this an accident.
The pilot must notify the investigating authority without delay - in Nigeria the NSIB, which took over from the AIB - and the NCAA as regulator. The owner, the insurer and, where injury or property damage is involved, the police should also be informed.
2. What must the pilot do, and refrain from doing, at the site?
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The pilot's duties are: (1) protect and preserve the wreckage and the site; do not move the aircraft unless necessary to rescue or evacuate people, to prevent further damage or hazard such as fire or traffic, or unless directed by the investigating authority. (2) Secure the aircraft, the documents, the journey log, the weather briefing, the weight-and-balance record, and the pilot's licence and medical. (3) Make no public statement and give no opinion on cause to the press or on social media - a statement to investigators is protected, a media interview is not. (4) Authorise no repair, engine strip or replacement of parts before the investigation has had access; doing so destroys evidence and may be an offence. (5) Cooperate with investigators and file the required written report.
3. How should the pilot respond to the owner's plan to move the aircraft overnight?
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The owner's plan is unlawful and self-defeating. Moving the wreckage at night to 'keep it quiet' obstructs the investigation under the NSIB Act and Annex 13 and is a criminal risk; it also destroys the evidence the insurer needs. The aircraft may not be flown again, or repaired, until the investigating authority releases it and the NCAA accepts it as airworthy - a local engineer's 'look' does not restore the certificate of airworthiness.
The pilot must refuse, record the owner's request, and notify the NSIB and his insurer. A truthful account given early is in the pilot's own interest: delay and concealment turn an accident into a regulatory offence and undermine the insurance claim. If the owner persists, the pilot should report the interference to the investigating authority.