What happened
On 6 October 2022, a Jodel DR1050-M1, registration G-BAEE, was conducting a flight to renew its Permit to Fly at Jackrell’s Farm airstrip in West Sussex. The flight was being operated as a private mission, with the aircraft owner acting as an observer while a pilot performed the necessary flight test items.
During the return to the airfield, the aircraft approached Runway 03. The aircraft owner recalled that the aircraft was traveling too fast and at too high an altitude on the approach. An attempt was made to execute a go-around, but the aircraft struck tall trees located just beyond the end of the runway. The impact with the trees significantly reduced the aircraft's forward momentum, causing it to drop into a field in an upright position. Both the pilot and the passenger sustained serious injuries.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation examined the wreckage and the flight records. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, including the loss of the outer two-thirds of the right wing and the separation of the right seat from the structure. The engine was found to have been operating at the time of impact.
Investigators noted that the pilot's recent flying experience had been exclusively in a three-axis microlight, which possesses different performance characteristics than the Jodel. While a timed climb test performed during the flight showed a performance reduction of approximately 15% compared to the manufacturer's manual, the investigation could not definitively link this to the accident. Furthermore, the investigation found that the aircraft was not equipped with an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT), and because the occupants were incapacitated, the emergency services were not notified until approximately 90 minutes after the event.
Findings
- The aircraft was unable to clear the tall trees at the end of the runway during an attempted go-around.
- The pilot may have applied landing techniques and visual references from a different aircraft type (a microlight) that did not suit the performance of the Jodel.
- The lack of an automatically activating ELT and the failure to notify anyone of an expected return time contributed to the significant delay in emergency responders reaching the site.