History of the Flight
The pilot of Ikarus C42 FB80, registered G-CDSW, planned a triangular cross-country flight from Headcorn Airfield to Lydd, then to Deanland, and back to Headcorn. He had obtained prior permission for Deanland the day before. The flight from Headcorn to Lydd was uneventful. After a short break, he departed Lydd and noticed from the windsock that the wind had strengthened.
The pilot had visited Deanland once before and intended to land on Runway 24. Upon arrival, he discovered that Runway 06 was in use, and the wind was variable. Turning onto final approach, he encountered a strong crosswind with turbulence, requiring a crab angle of approximately 40 degrees to maintain the inbound track. He switched to a wing-down approach, but this did not reduce the crab angle and caused a perceived loss of height, so he reverted to the crab approach.
Accident Sequence
During the flare, the pilot closed the throttle and aligned the aircraft with the runway. The aircraft drifted to the left, and he attempted to counter the drift with opposite rudder. The aircraft bounced on touchdown, veered off the runway, struck a runway marker, and passed through a hedge. The propeller, fuselage, wings, and landing gear sustained damage. The pilot was uninjured.
Pilot's Comments
The pilot noted that during flight planning, he focused excessively on communications and circuit procedures, neglecting consideration of changing weather conditions. He also acknowledged that during the flight, he missed several opportunities to revise his plan.
AAIB Comment
The AAIB highlighted the importance of initiating a go-around if the aircraft is not stable on approach. It also emphasized that multi-leg flight planning should account for possible adverse weather changes affecting all legs.
Bulletin Correction
The initial report erroneously stated that prior permission was obtained at Lydd; it was actually obtained the day before. Also, the runway in use was Runway 06, not Runway 26.