What happened
On 7 June 2015, a Great Lakes Sports Trainer, registration G-GLST, was conducting a private flight at Thruxton Aerodrome in Hampshire. Following a successful touch-and-go maneuver, the pilot attempted to land on a grass strip situated parallel to Runway 07. The approach path for this specific strip requires the aircraft to traverse a main tarmac apron and a hangar structure before reaching the runway threshold.
During the final stages of the approach, the pilot was performing a left sideslip to align the aircraft. During this maneuver, the aircraft descended more rapidly than anticipated. As a result, the left wingtip and the left landing gear made contact with the roof of the hangar approximately 150 metres before the threshold of the grass strip. Despite the impact, the pilot was able to continue the approach and complete a normal landing. The damage to both the aircraft and the hangar roof was identified following the aircraft's arrival on the ground.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The inquiry focused on the flight path and the specific maneuvers being performed at the time of the collision. The investigation established that the aircraft's descent rate during the sideslip was the primary factor in the contact with the hangar structure.