What happened
On 8 September 2014, a CASA 1-131E Series 2000 Jungmann, registration G-CDLC, was performing a local private flight from a farm airstrip in Wiltshire. The weather conditions were favorable, characterized by fine weather and a light 4-knot wind.
During a normal approach and landing towards the south, the aircraft experienced a sudden deviation to the left immediately following touchdown, accompanied by a drop in the left wing. Although the pilot attempted to maintain control using right rudder and engine power, the aircraft could not be kept on the 650-meter grass runway. The aircraft exited the prepared strip and entered a recently harvested field. The soft ground caused the aircraft to dig in, resulting in a nose-down pitch and a leftward yaw of approximately 270 degrees before coming to a stop. The aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, engine cowlings, landing gear, and the lower right wingtip and spars. The single passenger sustained one minor injury, specifically a superficial cut and a bruise, while the pilot was uninjured.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the cause of the sudden leftward deviation and the subsequent loss of directional control. Investigators examined the tracks left by the main wheels on the ground and the state of the aircraft's undercarriage. The investigation noted that the right wheel tracks were significantly more pronounced than those on the left. The pilot suggested that a failure of the left landing gear drag strut might have occurred, which would explain the lack of support on the left side and the resulting veer, although no specific impact was felt during the landing sequence.