What happened
On 5 June 2016, a Europa XS, registration G-CCUL, was conducting a private flight when it experienced a landing incident at Rayne Hall Farm Airfield in Essex. The pilot approached the airfield from the north-east, establishing a crosswind pattern for Runway 09. During the approach, the pilot noted several unidentified, partial radio transmissions on the SAFETYCOM frequency.
As the aircraft progressed on final approach, the pilot observed that the flight path was higher than intended and noted that the airspeed appeared less stable than normal. Despite these observations, no go-around was initiated. Upon touchdown, the aircraft settled lower than anticipated, pitched forward, and slid along the runway. The landing resulted in a gear-up event, causing damage to the transponder antenna and two propeller blades. There were no injuries to the pilot or the single passenger on board.
The investigation
The investigation examined the sequence of events leading to the landing and the pilot's actions during the approach. The pilot reported being distracted by the unidentified radio calls heard on the SAFETYCOM frequency. Furthermore, the pilot acknowledged that the before-landing checklist was not completed prior to the landing attempt.