What happened
On 15 September 2019, a Champion Citabria, registration G-AYXU, was involved in an accident during its landing phase at Gloucester Airport. Upon touchdown, the pilot lost directional control of the aircraft. This loss of control triggered a ground loop, a maneuver that subsequently caused the left-hand undercarriage to collapse.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events following the aircraft's contact with the runway. It was established that the primary event leading to the structural failure was the loss of directional stability during the landing roll. The resulting movement placed undue stress on the landing gear, leading to the collapse of the left-hand side of the undercarriage.
Findings
- The aircraft suffered substantial damage to both the wing and the propeller.
- The impact of the ground loop was severe enough that the Champion Citabria was declared a write-off.
- The primary cause of the undercarriage failure was the loss of directional control during the landing sequence.