Accident
On 1 March 2025, at 1500 UTC, a Europa monowheel aircraft, registration G-CBWP, sustained damage beyond economical repair after landing in a field short of the runway threshold at East Kirkby Airfield, Lincolnshire. The pilot, the sole occupant, was uninjured. The aircraft was powered by a single Rotax 912-UL piston engine and was manufactured in 2002.
History of the Flight
The pilot, aged 62, held a Private Pilot’s Licence with 53 hours on type, including 6 hours in the last 90 days and 2 hours in the last 28 days. He planned a flight from Full Sutton to East Kirkby Airfield, a destination unfamiliar to him. He consulted an airfield guide, checked the TAF and METAR for Humberside, and departed in good weather.
On approach, the pilot called on East Kirkby’s Safetycom frequency but received no reply. He had difficulty identifying the airfield because the surrounding fields appeared similar in size and colour, and the runways did not stand out. After a pass at 500 ft, he noticed slight differences in shades of green marking the runways. No runway numbers or windsock were visible. From a circuit height of 500 ft, he aligned with what he believed was Runway 26.
He landed but immediately realised the surface was rough—he had landed in a field short of the runway threshold. Attempting a go-around, he found insufficient room to achieve takeoff speed. He steered left to avoid a hedgerow ahead, but the right wing clipped something, spinning the aircraft nose-first into the hedge.
Aerodrome Information
East Kirkby Airfield, formerly RAF East Kirkby, has two unlicensed grass strip runways. The original concrete runways are still visible but not in use, partly covered by trees and buildings. An LPG storage and cylinder recharge site lies on a large concrete area north-east of the threshold of Runway 24. An aviation heritage centre is located to the north.
Conclusion
The aircraft landed in a field short of the runway threshold because the pilot was unable to distinguish the runway from the surrounding fields. On the approach, he did not maintain awareness of his position relative to the glidepath, because he was focussed on his approach speed.