What happened
On 8 August 2020, an EV-97 TeamEurostar, registration G-CIKT, was conducting a conversion training lesson at Peterborough/Conington Airport. The flight involved two crew members, with an agreement that the instructor would assume control during the base leg and final approach to perform the landing.
During the approach to Runway 010, the aircraft encountered wind conditions consisting of a 17 kt breeze from 050°, characterized by sharp and intense gusts. As the instructor prepared to touch down, a sudden strong gust caused the aircraft to balloon momentarily before it made a heavy impact with the runway. Following this heavy touchdown, the aircraft bounced and drifted toward the right side of the runway. The instructor attempted to initiate a go-around; however, the aircraft transitioned off the runway into long grass and continued moving until it collided with a fence. There were no injuries to the crew, though the wing leading edges sustained damage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the meteorological conditions and the aircraft's handling during the landing phase. The investigator noted that the crosswind component at the moment of touchdown was approximately 16 kt, which was nearly the maximum operational limit for the aircraft. The instructor suggested that the presence of nearby trees may have contributed to the turbulent and gusty nature of the wind during the approach.