What happened
On 9 October 2016, a Cyclone AX2000, registration G-CBGS, was engaged in a training flight at Longside Airfield in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire. The aircraft, operated by a student pilot, was performing its first solo mission under favorable weather conditions, characterized by good visibility and calm winds.
During the landing phase of the circuit, the aircraft experienced a leftward yaw immediately prior to touchdown. The pilot was unable to provide a sufficiently rapid correction to maintain the centerline. While the main wheels successfully made contact with the runway, the aircraft's trajectory moved toward the runway edge. In an attempt to recover, the pilot initiated a go-around procedure. As the aircraft began to lift, the wheels encountered long grass adjacent to the runway surface. This caused the aircraft to tip over and come to rest in an inverted position.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events during the landing and the subsequent transition to a go-around. It was established that the pilot was wearing a four-point harness at the time of the accident. Following the inversion, the pilot managed to exit the aircraft through the side door without needing help from external parties. The investigation confirmed there were no injuries to the crew, though the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the failure to correct a leftward yaw during the landing flare.
- The decision to execute a go-around while the aircraft was already deviating from the runway centerline led to the wheels encountering unpaved, long grass.
- The aircraft's movement into the soft ground caused the loss of control and subsequent inversion.