What happened
On 23 July 2016, a Gemini Flash IIA, registration G-MVMZ, was performing a private flight when it encountered difficulties during the landing phase at a private airstrip in Mitton, Penkridge, Staffordshire. As the aircraft was approaching the ground, a sudden gust of wind affected the wing, making it impossible for the pilot to maintain level flight. This resulted in the wingtip making contact with the airstrip surface.
Despite the aircraft's low ground speed of roughly 15 mph, the friction from the wingtip contact caused the aircraft to spin around. The incident resulted in one minor injury to a passenger, while the pilot remained unhurt. The aircraft sustained damage to its wing structure and the associated wing attachment fittings.
The investigation
Investigators reviewed the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot to reconstruct the sequence of events. The investigation established that the weather conditions at the time of the accident were generally good, characterized by light but variable and gusty winds. The pilot's experience on the type was noted as 159 hours, with a total of 349 flying hours.