Aircraft and Flight Details
On 20 April 2018 at 1700 UTC, a private flight of a Europa aircraft, registration G-RICS, ended in an accident during landing at Baynards Farm, Ellens Green, Surrey. The single-engine aircraft was powered by a Rotax 912 ULS piston engine and was manufactured in 1997. The pilot was the sole occupant, holding a National Private Pilot’s Licence, aged 71, with 434 hours total flying experience, of which 385 were on type. In the previous 90 days, the pilot had flown 2 hours, and 2 hours in the previous 28 days.
Accident Narrative
The accident occurred on landing after a brief local flight in benign weather conditions. The pilot flew a stable approach with full flaps into a slight headwind. At touchdown, the aircraft bounced approximately three feet, and the pilot elected to perform a go-around. He set full power with the propeller in full fine pitch, but then lost directional control. The nose yawed to the left, and the left wing dropped. The pilot noted that the loss of directional control seemed rapid at the low speed being flown. The nose and left wingtip struck the grass 10 m from the edge of the runway, and the aircraft slid a further 10 m off the side of the grass strip. The pilot suffered minor injuries, but the aircraft was severely damaged.
Pilot Experience and Comments
The pilot, who had landed many times at this airstrip, thought that his limited flying in the previous four months could have been a factor. He also commented that pilots of aircraft that have ‘springy’ undercarriages would benefit from occasional touch-and-go practice at a suitable airfield.