AAIB investigation to Z-1RA Stummelflitzer, G-ZIRA
Tipped inverted on landing due to excessive brake application, White Waltham Airfield, 25 April 2015.
Summary:
The Z-1RA Stummelflitzer is an aircraft of tail skid design. The approach appeared normal with a wind of 8 kt from 250°. Upon touching down on grass Runway 25 at an airspeed of 50 kt the aircraft bounced and the pilot applied a small amount of corrective forward stick. As the aircraft touched down again, the pilot applied the brake pedals and the aircraft nosed over onto its back. The pilot, who had been using a full harness and wearing a protective helmet, exited the aircraft uninjured.
The pilot had taken ownership of the aircraft six days prior to the accident, during which he had accrued a total of five hours flying time and made approximately 16 landings. The pilot felt that he had become familiar with the braking action during this period, commenting that they had not felt particularly powerful. On the day of the accident the pilot had flown the aircraft wearing a new pair of shoes that he thought would improve his tactile feel of the brake and rudder pedals.
The pilot considered the reason for the accident was a culmination of factors, which included inexperience on type, excessive brake application due to a change in footwear and reversion to the heavier braking technique he used for tricycle landing gear aircraft when landing on short runways.
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