What happened
On 23 February 2018, a Jabiru J400, registration G-REAF, was conducting a training flight at Peterborough (Conington) Airport. The flight was a familiarisation session for a new owner, accompanied by a flight instructor. During the approach to Runway 10, the pilot maintained a speed of 70 KIAS before reducing power to decelerate to 60 KIAS. At approximately 50 ft altitude, the aircraft experienced an abrupt nose-down pitch. The descent rate increased rapidly, and the aircraft struck the runway with significant force in a nose-down attitude. This impact caused the nose landing gear to collapse, resulting in damage to the propeller, engine shock-loading, and distortion to the cockpit floor and firewall. There were no injuries to the two crew members.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft's loading configuration and the instructor's experience. While the instructor had previously flown the aircraft with three occupants, this flight involved only two people in the front seats. The investigation noted that the aircraft's centre of gravity (CG) shifts significantly forward when the rear seats are unoccupied. The instructor had relied on verbal advice from the aircraft's builder regarding approach speeds and power settings, but had not personally evaluated the handling characteristics in this specific light-load configuration. The Light Aircraft Association (LAA) also reviewed the accuracy of the airspeed indicator, noting that while a stall was possible, the primary issue likely related to the aircraft's pitch tendency under reduced power.