What happened
On 1 August 2017, a Europa aircraft, registration G-LEBE, was conducting a private flight when an incident occurred during the landing phase at Popham Airfield, Hampshire. Following a local flight, the pilot configured the aircraft for arrival by lowering the flaps and the landing gear.
Upon touchdown, the pilot heard a loud noise and observed that the landing gear and flap lever had moved from the down position toward the up position. The lever became caught on its surrounding structure, resulting in a distorted surround and a lever stuck in an intermediate position. As a result of this movement, the main wheel retracted into the wheel well while the aircraft was still on the ground. The aircraft came to a stop without further incident or damage to the airframe.
The investigation
The investigation examined the mechanical operation of the mono-wheel version of the Europa, noting that the main landing gear, out-rigger gears, and flaps are all interconnected and controlled by a single lever. Investigators reviewed the state of the landing gear retraction lever and its surround, which showed signs of distortion. The investigation also looked into the pilot's cockpit procedures regarding the verification of the gear lever position prior to landing.