What happened
On 5 February 2015, a Ace Aviation Magic Cyclone, registration G-IXXY, was undergoing an initial flight test at Perth Airport in Perthshire. The weather conditions at the time of the operation were favorable, characterized by good visibility and calm winds.
Approximately five minutes after departing from the airfield, the pilot initiated an approach to Runway 09, which is an asphalt strip measuring 609 metres in length. Upon touchdown, the aircraft drifted to the right, causing the right mainwheel to leave the paved surface and enter the adjacent grass area. This excursion caused a significant jolt to the airframe.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the structural failure that occurred during the runway excursion. It was determined that the impact of the aircraft veering onto the grass led to the fracture of a ‘D’ shackle located within the rear drag link tension cable assembly.
Because the landing gear on this specific aircraft type is designed to fold for the purpose of de-rigging once the ‘D’ shackle is released, the failure of this component caused the right landing gear to collapse. The incident resulted in no injuries to the pilot and caused minimal damage to the landing gear assembly itself.