What happened
On 13 August 2015, an Ikarus C42 FB80, registration G-JSKY, was conducting a training flight from Broadford Ashaig Airfield on the Isle of Skye to Plockton. During the final approach to Runway 20, the student pilot was operating the aircraft. As the aircraft crossed the runway threshold, a wind gust pushed the plane toward the left side of the asphalt onto the grass.
In response to the deviation, the instructor directed the student to return to the runway centerline. However, the student failed to react promptly and initiated an early flare, which led to a loss of airspeed. Encountering further turbulence, the aircraft landed heavily on the grass left of the runway and bounced. The instructor then took control of the aircraft to attempt a recovery, but additional turbulence caused the aircraft to stall. The aircraft subsequently struck the ground in a right-wing-low attitude, resulting in damage to the propeller, nose, wing strut, and the right main landing gear. There were no injuries to the two crew members.
The investigation
The investigation established that the weather conditions involved southwesterly winds of approximately 12 knots with intermittent gusts. The investigation examined the sequence of pilot inputs, noting that the student pilot's delayed response to the instructor's commands and the premature flare were critical factors in the loss of airspeed and subsequent heavy landing.