What happened
On 28 April 2017, a Maule MXT-7-160 Star Rocket, registration G-BUXD, was conducting a private flight from Goodwood to Eaglescott Airfield in Devon. While attempting to land on Runway 07, the pilot lost visual contact with the runway. In an attempt to regain sight of the landing strip, the pilot performed two orbits. During these maneuvers, the aircraft's altitude decreased, prompting the pilot to initiate a go-around.
During the go-around, the pilot failed to sufficiently monitor the airspeed, leading to an aerodynamic stall. Due to the low altitude at the time of the stall, there was insufficient height to recover the aircraft before it impacted a field short of the runway. While there were no fatalities and no injuries to the crew or passenger, the aircraft sustained extensive damage.
The investigation
The investigation examined the pilot's flight planning and the airfield's arrival procedures. It was noted that the pilot had intended to fly a left-hand circuit, as per his flight plan. However, the pilot had consulted a tablet device during the flight which incorrectly suggested that right-hand circuits were the standard for the airfield; this instruction actually pertained to gliders rather than fixed-wing aircraft.
Witness testimony from the Airfield Manager indicated that the pilot had announced a right-hand circuit. The Manager observed the aircraft performing a right orbit and attempted to radio the pilot, advising a go-around to revert to a standard left-hand circuit. The investigation also considered the visibility challenges posed by the airfield's layout, noting that nearby fields share a similar alignment to Runway 07, which may have hindered the pilot's ability to identify the runway while flying a right-hand pattern.