What happened
On 18 November, a pilot was conducting a local flight and preparing to land on Runway 05 at Membury Airfield. At the time of the incident, weather conditions were clear with good visibility, a light northerly wind of 5 knots, and a temperature of 25°C.
During the approach, the pilot noted that the aircraft, a G-CDYO, was traveling faster and maintaining a higher altitude than usual. Because another aircraft was positioned at the holding point awaiting departure, the pilot intended to land further down the runway to maintain a safe distance from the departing plane.
Upon touchdown, the Ikarus C42 FB80 bounced twice. During the third contact with the runway, the nosewheel collapsed, causing the propeller to strike the surface. The aircraft subsequently came to a stop on the left-hand edge of the runway. There were no fatalities or injuries reported.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of the landing and the pilot's decision-making process. The pilot acknowledged that the aircraft's energy state was higher than ideal for the intended landing point. The investigation examined the impact of the multiple bounces on the structural integrity of the landing gear and the subsequent collapse.