Independent report

AAIB Record-only investigations reviewed: November – December 2022

Published 9 February 2023

Event Date	Aircraft Type	Registration	Location	Record Only Occurrence Text
08 May 2022	Mainair Blade	G-CCZW	Headon Airfield, Nottinghamshire	A student pilot was attempting to land at Headon Airfield following a short solo flight. The pilot reported that she rejected the first landing, as she considered she was too high during the approach. On the second attempt to land, as the microlight touched down, it was caught by gusting wind, resulting in a heavy landing and loss of directional control. The aircraft then bounced and departed the runway at 90°, coming to rest in a hedgerow.
23 Jul 2022	Cessna P210N	N6398W	Providenciales International Airport, Turks and Caicos Islands	During the landing roll the aircraft drifted off the side of the runway and the nose landing gear leg collapsed.
13 Aug 2022	Rans S6-ES	G-BYZO	Old Warden Aerodrome, Bedfordshire	During the landing flare the aircraft’s main wheels hit an unexpected hump on the runway, jolting the pilot’s hand from the control column. Before he could apply power to go around the aircraft bounced again and landed on the nose wheel. The pilot reported that he had been distracted by initially misidentifying the landing runway, and that his approach speed may have been too high.
06 Sep 2022	DH82A Tiger Moth	G-ADPC	Derby Airfield	G-ALNA was taxiing behind G-ADPC in preparation for departure. The pilot of G-ALNA was carrying out pre-takeoff checks and became distracted from maintaining a good lookout. G-ADPC stopped, and the pilot of G-ALNA was unable to stop in time to prevent a collision causing damaged to the wings of both aircraft.
14 Sep 2022	Sherwood Scout	G-CLWT	Kingsmuir Airfield, Fife	The aircraft became low on the final approach to a farm strip and the left wheel struck a wire fence short of the runway threshold. The aircraft touched down sideways and span round as it stopped, damaging the left landing gear and propeller. The pilot may have been distracted by vehicles moving towards the runway undershoot on an adjacent farm track.
08 Oct 2022	Piper PA-28RT-201	G-BOJI	Blackbushe Airport, Surrey	Approximately 30 seconds after takeoff, the right side of the engine cowling top panel became detached and the panel lifted up 45°, partially obscuring the pilot’s forward view. A PAN call was made and the pilot flew one circuit to land on the departure runway. Due to the drag of the panel the pilot made the approach with increased power and airspeed. The aircraft landed safely.
11 Oct 2022	DA 40 NG	G-LDGB	Mid Wales Airport, Welshpool, Powys	At a height of 20 ft, as the student pilot reduced power to land, the aircraft rocked slightly to the left. The pilot applied full power to go around but the aircraft continued to sink, and its left wheel touched the ground, pulling the aircraft to the left. The pilot reduced the power to idle and, as it slowed, the aircraft hit a fence and stopped in an adjacent field, damaging the left wingtip and the propeller.
12 Oct 2022	Piper PA-28-161	G-WARB	Wolverhampton Halfpenny Green Airport	With a passenger in the left seat, the pilot was flying from the right and had just levelled the aircraft at 1,500 ft when a “brownish coloured band” appeared on the windshield. He assumed it was from an engine oil leak and immediately turned back to the airfield. Soon, the oil completely obscured the pilot’s forward visibility. He flew a crabbed approach, approximately 30° left of the runway track, and opened the cabin door so that he could see forward through the door aperture to line up with the runway. The aircraft landed safely. The oil leak was caused by a failed crank case seal plug.
23 Oct 2022	Piper PA-28-161	G-BOPC	Newquay Airport, Cornwall	The pilot inadvertently lined up on the runway edge lights as he was dazzled by the early morning sun on the wet runway. During the subsequent start of the takeoff run, three runway edge lights were damaged together with the propeller and nosewheel tyre of the aircraft. Believing that he had suffered a birdstrike the pilot rejected the takeoff and taxied back to the GA apron.
25 Oct 2022	Gulfstream AA-5A	G-BGCM	Near Whitby, North Yorkshire	During flight the pilot noticed that the two carbon monoxide spot detectors in the cockpit had turned black indicating the presence of carbon monoxide, so he elected to make a precautionary landing on his property’s landing strip. After touching down, he believed he couldn’t stop before reaching the end of the grass strip and decided to go around. The aircraft subsequently struck a wire fence and a dry-stone wall. The pilot escaped with minor injuries, but has since elected to cease flying.
25 Oct 2022	Bristell NG5 Speed Wing	G-NGCC	Hawks View Airstrip, Cheshire	The pilot was back tracking along the runway whilst listening to the Manchester area rather than the airfield radio. He noticed an aircraft on base leg and so vacated to the side of the runway and his aircraft subsequently struck a fence causing damage to the propeller and wing.
04 Nov 2022	Cessna 182F	G-WARP	Meppershall Airfield, Bedfordshire	Whilst taking off from a wet, grass runway, the aircraft started to drift to the left and despite attempts to correct its direction, departed off the edge of the runway onto soft ground. The nose wheel of the aircraft sank into the mud and broke off, resulting in the propeller contacting the ground and the aircraft coming to an immediate stop.
09 Nov 2022	Piper PA-28-140	G-ZEBY	Carlisle Lake District Airport	The pilot reported that the approach to land was too fast. The aircraft bounced several times before the nose gear collapsed.
25 Nov 2022	Cessna 150M	G-BRNC	Leeds East Airport	During the landing by a solo student, the aircraft bounced twice and the nose wheel leg collapsed.
27 Nov 2022	Guimbal Cabri G2	G-ETWO	Leicester Airport	The helicopter descended too quickly and landed heavily which resulted in damage to the right skid.
13 Dec 2022	X’Air Falcon D(1)	G-TBYD	Felthorpe Airfield, Norfolk	The aircraft was high and fast on approach. It landed heavily and the left gear leg collapsed.
14 Dec 2022	Cessna 152	G-CJPN	Cumbernauld Airport, North Lanarkshire	On touchdown during the student pilot’s fourth landing of the day, the aircraft skidded, left the runway and the nose gear collapsed.