What happened
On 14 March 2016, a Eurostar aircraft, registration G-CDNG, was conducting a private flight from Shoblam Airfield to Cotswold Airport. During the arrival at Cotswold Airport, the pilot attempted to land on Runway 08 under clear but gusty weather conditions. During the flare phase of the landing, the pilot initiated a pitch-up input that was too aggressive, leading to an aerodynamic stall. This resulted in a heavy landing that caused structural damage to the right landing gear, its attachment points, and the aircraft's fuselage floor. Despite the impact, the aircraft remained mobile and was able to taxi off the runway. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The investigation examined cockpit video footage and meteorological data from a nearby station at RAF Fairford. The video recorded the aircraft's airspeed dropping from approximately 60 mph during approach to 43 mph during the flare, and finally to 30 mph following the stall. Meteorological reports confirmed a significant headwind of 14 knots, gusting up to 22 knots, at the time of the accident.
Investigators also considered the pilot's experience and the characteristics of the airfield. The pilot was relatively unfamiliar with Cotswold Airport, which features a runway significantly wider than the Shobdon Airfield where the pilot had recently practiced crosswind techniques. The investigation looked into whether the pilot had adhered to recommended speed margins for gusty conditions and whether visual illusions played a role in the timing of the flare.
Findings
- The pilot performed the flare too early, which, combined with continued upward pitch input, caused the aircraft to stall.
- The landing runway at Cotswold Airport was more than twice the width of the pilot's familiar airfield, which can create an optical illusion that the aircraft is lower than its actual altitude.
- The pilot did not increase the approach or landing speeds to provide an additional margin to account for the gusty headwind conditions.