What happened
On 18 July 2018, a Chaser S 447, registration G-MYYD, was involved in a ground accident at Barhams Mill Farm Airfield in Kent. The flight was a private operation. The pilot, who had recently completed a flight in a different microlight, was given the opportunity to fly the Chaser S 4/47 following a series of short flights between local airstrips.
After a successful approach and touchdown, the aircraft began to veer toward the right. The pilot attempted to use the nosewheel steering yoke to correct this deviation. However, due to the physical configuration of the cockpit, the pilot found it impossible to steer the aircraft to the left without simultaneously increasing the throttle. Each attempt to correct the course resulted in the aircraft drifting right again. After three such attempts, the pilot applied a significant correction which caused the aircraft to tip onto its right side. There were no injuries to the pilot, though the aircraft sustained damage to the pylon and the wing keel tube.
The investigation
The investigation examined the cockpit ergonomics and the pilot's control inputs. It was noted that the pilot's experience on this specific aircraft type was extremely limited, totaling only 10 minutes. The pilot reported that the footwell area provided restricted space for his legs and feet.
Technical examination of the steering mechanism revealed that the yoke is operated via the feet and is linked to the nosewheel. The throttle and brake controls are positioned on the right and left sides of the yoke, respectively, to allow for foot-based operation. The investigation established that the physical constraints of the footwell prevented the pilot from executing a leftward steering input without inadvertently engaging the throttle.