Accident Synopsis
On 31 July 2020 at 1203 UTC, a Cirrus SR22, registration N8163P, was landing at Cotswold (Kemble) Airport, Gloucestershire, when it lost control and collided with a parked Piper PA-30 aircraft, G-ATXD. The pilot and two passengers were uninjured, but both aircraft sustained substantial damage. The damage to N8163P included the landing gear, propeller, and left wing; the parked aircraft suffered damage to its right wing.
History of the Flight
The pilot, a 67-year-old private pilot with 698 hours total (199 on type), had departed Solent Airport with two passengers. While en route, he contacted Kemble Information to request joining information and prior permission. After being informed he was number two in the circuit with one aircraft landing ahead, he positioned downwind for Runway 08. The weather was good with a moderate crosswind, and the approach was stable. The pilot reported his last observed airspeed as 78 kt, intending to touch down at about 75 kt. He was visual with the landing aircraft and assumes it would vacate at intersection A3. However, the aircraft ahead continued to the end of the runway, vacating at A1. The pilot reported having to hold off until receiving clearance to land at his discretion as he crossed the threshold. The aircraft was still airborne at the first touchdown zone markings when the left wing dropped and contacted the runway. The aircraft then touched down on the grass and traveled at approximately 45° to the left of the runway heading until it reached the North Apron, where it collided with G-ATXD.
Aircraft Damage
The parked Piper PA-30, G-ATXD, sustained severe damage to the aileron and lower surface of the right wing, along with a substantial fuel leak. N8163P had abrasion damage to the left-wing tip consistent with contacting a hard surface, scratches likely from the torn metal of G-ATXD, and propeller blade damage typical of striking soft ground or stones. The right main landing gear had broken off from its mounting structure, puncturing the top skin of the wing. The right main wheel detached, with abrasions suggesting sideways sliding. The nose landing gear was twisted but remained attached.
Meteorological Conditions
The airport reported CAVOK weather, temperature 29°C, and wind from 080° at 14 kt. Analysis of a closed-circuit television (CCTV) recording showed the instantaneous wind at the threshold to be approximately 160° and 15 kt, with no visual evidence of gusts.
Analysis
The loss of control occurred as the pilot delayed touchdown while waiting for the preceding aircraft to clear the runway. Although the pilot had not practiced crosswind landings recently, the windsock near the threshold indicated a relatively steady crosswind of about 15 kt, within the aircraft's 21-kt crosswind limit, making a gust-induced wing drop unlikely. It is probable that handling the aircraft at low speed while countering the crosswind led to the loss of control. The CCTV and wing-tip abrasions show the left wing struck the runway before the aircraft touched down on the grass. The pilot reported attempting a go-around while on the grass, but with high air temperature (29°C) and a tailwind, the aircraft may not have had sufficient performance to become safely airborne. The collision with the parked unoccupied aircraft occurred at high speed, causing substantial damage.