Independent report

AAIB Record-only investigations reviewed: September – October 2020

Published 10 December 2020

Event Date	Aircraft Type	Registration	Location	Occurrence Details
01 Jul 2020	Vans RV-4	G-BXRV	Defford Croft Airfield, Worcestershire	The pilot applied power with the brakes on prior to a short field takeoff. As he was about to release the brakes, the tail lifted and the aircraft pitched over resulting in a propeller strike. The propeller and airframe were damaged.
12 Jul 2020	Denney Kitfox MK2	G-BTTY	Eggesford Airfield, Devon	The pilot encountered significant turbulence on final approach. The main wheels touched down first and then the pilot lowered the tailwheel to improve directional control. The aircraft started to weathervane to the right and despite multiple opposing rudder inputs, the aircraft veered towards the runway edge and pitched nose down. The pilot pulled the stick fully back but was unable to prevent the propeller striking the ground and the aircraft becoming inverted.
14 Jul 2020	Piper PA-24-250	N7348P	Temple Bruer private strip, Lincolnshire	The pilot omitted to select the gear down prior to landing, causing damage to the fuselage and propeller on touchdown. He heard the gear warning horn as he closed the throttle but mistook it for the stall warning, which has a similar sound and often operates just prior to touchdown.
18 Jul 2020	Jodel D9	G-BGFJ	Kingstanding Airfield, nr Ascott under Wychwood, Oxfordshire	The pilot took off in a crosswind and encountered sink. He successfully avoided a tree on the extended centre line, however the aircraft did not climb and landed in a field, and then rolled over.
20 Jul 2020	Jodel D140E	G-JRME	Cornwall Airport Newquay	The aircraft ground looped on landing and the main landing gear collapsed. The pilot report that he experienced a strong gust of wind during landing.
06 Aug 2020	Mainair Blade 912	G-OYES	East Fortune, East Lothian	The pilot misjudged the strength of the crosswind which resulted in a heavy landing and landing gear damage.
08 Aug 2020	Vans RV-6A	G-CKTF	Holmbeck Farm, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire	The aircraft descended rapidly just prior to touchdown which caused the nose landing gear to dig in and subsequently collapse, and the aircraft turned over.
11 Aug 2020	Champion 8KCAB	G-DDGJ	Frensham Pond Airstrip, Surrey	During the landing roll on a grass runway the aircraft started to oscillate in pitch. The pilot moved the control column forward to counter this instability, but the aircraft’s nose pitched down more rapidly than he expected. This resulted in a propeller strike. The pilot reported that, with hindsight, he should have initiated a go around when the oscillations began.
23 Aug 2020	Grob G115	G-BPKF	Nottingham Airport	The aircraft bounced twice during landing so the solo student pilot elected to go around. He was informed that the nose landing gear leg had detached and was advised to keep the nose up after touchdown. The pilot was able to land safely; it was his second bounce that had caused the nose leg to detach.
24 Aug 2020	Skyranger Swift 912(1)	G-CLLA	Sywell Aerodrome, Northamptonshire	After what seemed like a normal touchdown, the nose of the aircraft began to pitch up. The pilot attempted to stop the nose-up pitch but the result was a heavy landing and the aircraft came to rest inverted.
29 Aug 2020	Maule MXT-7-180	G-BVIL	Lower Lyde Court Farm, Hereford	As the aircraft approached the runway, the speed increased suddenly possibly due to a gust of wind. The aircraft touched down heavily and became airborne again, and on the second bounce the nose wheel contacted the runway first and sheared off. This resulted in the nose digging in and the aircraft inverting onto its roof.
31 Aug 2020	Glos-Airtourer Super 150	G-AZBE	Peterlee (Shotton) Airfield, Durham	On landing the nosewheel dug into the soft ground and the nose undercarriage leg broke off. The airfield had been affected by heavy rain in the week preceding the event.
05 Sep 2020	Piper PA-28-161	G-WARU	Wellesbourne Airfield, Warwickshire	While landing in a slight crosswind, the aircraft drifted to the left edge of the runway and, on command from the instructor, the student began a go-around. Believing the go-around would not be successful, the instructor took control and closed the throttle. On touchdown, the aircraft yawed sharply left and the aircraft came to a halt in a maize crop.
06 Sep 2020	Sherwood KUB	G-TLEE	Egerton, Ashford, Kent	The pilot carried out a forced landing in a field after confusing aerodynamic stall for reoccurrence of a flight control system problem. The landing resulted in the aircraft hitting a hedge.
15 Sep 2020	Tecnam P92-EA Echo	G-BZWT	Manor Farm Airfield, Bicester, Oxfordshire	The aircraft bounced after touchdown and the nose gear subsequently collapsed.
16 Sep 2020	Piper J5A	G-BTKA	Finmere Aerodrome, Buckinghamshire	This was the second flight of a tailwheel conversion course. The student applied right rudder and, probably, right brake, to counter a drift to the left of the centreline on landing. The tailwheel ‘broke away’, the aircraft ground-looped and then struck a fence post damaging the left elevator.
20 Sep 2020	Skyranger Swift 912(1)	G-CLNN	Desborough Airfield, Northamptonshire	The pilot elected to land half-way along the available landing strip to avoid a ditch that crossed its midpoint. On landing, the aircraft bounced and the pilot made a nose down pitch input, causing damage to the nosewheel on the subsequent touchdown. He was unable to stop the aircraft before a hedgerow at the end of the field, causing damage to the right wing, engine cowling and propeller. The pilot was not injured. He believed the wind may have veered creating a tailwind on landing.
27 Sep 2020	Vans RV-7	G-CKMX	City of Derry Airport, Londonderry	The aircraft bounced on landing from a higher-than-normal approach speed. It bounced again and, on the next touchdown, sustained damage to both spats, the right landing gear leg and the left wing tip. The pilot carried out a go-around and landed safely.
29 Sep 2020	EV-97 TeamEurostar UK	G-CDJR	Eddsfield Airfield, nr Driffield, East Yorkshire	While landing on an uphill runway in light wind conditions, the aircraft bounced and became briefly airborne after the initial touchdown. As the aircraft touched down for a second time the nosewheel leg collapsed and folded backwards. The aircraft came to rest on its mainwheels and nose.