AAIB investigation to Denney Kitfox Mk 3, G-KTTY
Heavy landing and ground loop, Manchester Barton Airport, 9 June 2018.
Summary:
The handling pilot had recently bought G-KTTY and had arranged for type conversion training through the Light Aircraft Association. The accident flight was the owner’s second training detail and started with circuit practice at Manchester Barton Airport. On the first circuit, the aircraft landed firmly due to a high sink rate at touchdown. On the next circuit the flight parameters at the threshold were similar, resulting in a second baulked landing go‑around. In the initial stages of this go-around, the aircraft’s nose pitched up significantly and the aircraft stalled, leading to a wing drop and heavy landing on the right main landing gear. Shortly after touchdown, the right wingtip came into contact with the runway, precipitating a ground loop through 180° to the right, during which the left wingtip also touched the ground before the aircraft came to rest on its wheels.
The pilot reported that the incident was a result of his lack of familiarity with the nose-up attitude required for a go-around. He found it difficult to perceive the correct climb attitude due to the aircraft’s nose obscuring forward vision of the horizon; the lack of an artificial horizon for cross‑reference further hindered his assessment of the required pitch attitude.
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