What happened
On 20 February 2022, a Cessna 172N, registration G-BONO, arrived at Perranporth Airfield in Cornwall following a flight from Northern Ireland. The flight was conducted under difficult meteorological conditions characterized by challenging winds.
While the aircraft was taxiing in the vicinity of a hangar, a sudden gust of wind caught the right wing. This force caused the aircraft to tip, resulting in the left wing tip and the propeller making contact with the ground.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events during the ground movement at Perranporth Airfield. It was established that the aircraft had been operating in high-wind conditions prior to the incident. The physical evidence confirmed that the impact occurred when the wind uplifted the right side of the airframe, leading to the ground strike of the propeller and the wing tip.