What happened
On 29 February 2016, a CZAW SportCruiser, registration G-FELX, was involved in a ground accident at Crowfield Airfield in Suffolk during a private flight. The pilot had been taxiing on the grass surface near the intersection of Runway 02 and Runway 13 to perform necessary power checks.
After completing the checks, the pilot moved the aircraft onto Runway 02. Due to difficulty in identifying the exact boundary between the runway and the grass, the aircraft was taxied beyond the runway edge. The pilot then proceeded to turn left onto Runway 13/30. During this maneuver, the aircraft moved onto soft ground, causing the nosewheel to sink into the surface. This sudden deceleration caused the nose leg to break, resulting in the propeller making contact with the ground. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the movement of the aircraft across the airfield and the condition of the ground surface. The inquiry established that the pilot's path of travel took the aircraft off the prepared runway surface and onto uncompacted, soft terrain.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the nosewheel digging into soft ground after the aircraft left the runway edge.
- The pilot's inability to clearly distinguish the runway edge on the grass contributed to the excursion.
- The aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, the nose gear, and one of the main landing gears.