What happened
On 25 September 2015, a Dynamic WT9 UK, registration G-NGLS, was conducting a private flight from Old Sarum to Hollym Airfield in Yorkshire, having previously stopped at Sywell for refueling. The aircraft was carrying one pilot and one passenger.
Upon arrival at the unlicensed airfield, the pilot performed a fly-by to evaluate the available runways. While Runway 31 offered a more favorable wind direction, the pilot judged it too short due to coastal erosion. Consequently, the decision was made to land on Runway 32. Although this runway was longer, it was narrow and bordered by a fence on the western side. The pilot estimated a steady crosswind component of approximately 7 knots.
Following an approach and touchdown that initially appeared normal, the pilot focused her attention straight ahead. During the landing roll, the aircraft began drifting toward the left side of the runway. Although the passenger attempted to alert the pilot to the proximity of the fence, the left wingtip struck several fence posts. This impact caused the aircraft to ground loop before coming to a rest in the long grass adjacent to the runway. There were no injuries to the occupants, but the aircraft sustained damage to the left wing leading edge, a detached wingtip, and propeller scuffing.
The investigation
The AAIB examined the circumstances of the landing and the pilot's decision-making process. The investigation looked into the pilot's awareness of the aircraft's lateral movement and the environmental factors at Hollym Airfield, specifically the narrowness of the runway and the presence of the boundary fence. The investigation also considered the pilot's physiological state and previous experience on this aircraft type.