What happened
On 17 May 2018, a Teameurostar UK, registration G-CEDX, was performing a private flight at Gloucester Airport. The weather conditions were favorable, with a light wind of 5 knots from 060°M. During the approach to Runway 09, the pilot initiated the flare for landing.
As the aircraft reached the flare stage, the pilot experienced a slight lift and a leftward yaw. In an attempt to correct this movement, the pilot applied right rudder. This maneuver resulted in a touchdown that was more forceful than intended, leaving the aircraft's heading approximately 20° left of the runway centerline. While attempting to decelerate, the aircraft continued to veer left, eventually exiting the runway and striking a PAPI indicator.
The investigation
The investigation examined the sequence of events leading to the excursion and the physical damage sustained. The impact caused damage to the aircraft's propeller, right wing, and right landing gear, while the aerodrome PAPI light also sustained damage. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The pilot provided information regarding the control inputs used during the landing roll. It was noted that while the pilot was actively applying right rudder to counteract the yaw at the moment of touchdown, there may have been insufficient time to transition the right foot from the rudder pedal to the right toe brake. Consequently, it is believed that only the left brake was effectively engaged during the initial part of the landing roll.