What happened
On 22 August 2015, a Falco F.8L, registration G-BWYO, was conducting a private flight near Pitlands Farm, Up Marden, in Sussex. The pilot had arrived overhead the location to perform a visual inspection of a field intended for a farm landing. After positioning the aircraft into a downwind pattern, the pilot commenced a final approach.
During the landing phase, the aircraft experienced a hard impact with the ground. The force of the landing was sufficient to cause the nosewheel to shear from the airframe. Following the structural failure, the aircraft slid approximately 50 to 100 metres across the terrain before coming to a complete stop. There were no injuries to the pilot, and the aircraft was safely evacuated following the incident.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The examination focused on the sequence of the landing and the subsequent mechanical failure of the landing gear. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft sustained damage to the propeller and the nosewheel assembly as a result of the impact.