X'air 133(1), G-CWAL, 27 August 2013
X’air 133(1), G-CWAL
Summary:
Approximately 15 minutes into an uneventful flight, the engine started to make a loud, unusual noise and lost power. The pilot managed to use the limited power available to position the aircraft for a landing in the only suitable field in the immediate vicinity. The field was approximately 200 m long and 100 m wide, and bounded by a 2 m high dry stone wall. Electrical overhead cables ran diagonally across the field in which a herd of cows was grazing. During the landing, both mainwheels broke off the stub axles.
Following the accident the owner found a large number of small fragments of metal in the oil drained from the engine sump and assessed that the loss of power was probably due to an internal mechanical failure. At the time of the accident the aircraft and engine had flown approximately 137 hours. The damage to the landing gear and bends in the main fuselage tube wing spars were consistent with the aircraft having landed heavy. The damage to the aircraft was assessed as beyond economic repair.
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