Aircraft and Pilot
The aircraft involved was an Evans VP-1 Series 2 Volksplane, registration G-AYUJ, serial number PFA 1538, manufactured in 1983. It was powered by a single Volkswagen 1834 piston engine. The pilot, aged 78, held a National Private Pilot’s Licence and had accumulated 190 flying hours, of which 110 were on type. He had flown 4 hours in the last 90 days and 2 hours in the last 28 days.
Accident Sequence
On 13 July 2017 at approximately 1300 UTC, the pilot was returning to Barton Ashes Airstrip in Hampshire. He approached Runway 25 from the northwest. The wind was from 260° at 3 knots and visibility was more than 10 km. During the latter stages of the approach, the pilot reported that he allowed the aircraft’s speed to decay, and subsequently it stalled, touching down heavily on the runway.
Damage and Injuries
The accident resulted in damage to the propeller, the left landing gear leg, and possible crankshaft damage. The pilot was able to vacate the aircraft without assistance and sustained no injuries.
Investigation
The pilot submitted an Aircraft Accident Report Form to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), which published this information in Bulletin 12/2017. No other sources of information were cited.