What happened
On 31 August 2018, a Pegasus Quantum 15-912 Quantum, registration G-BYRJ, was conducting a private local flight near Redlands Airfield in Wiltshire. The flight, which lasted approximately 10 minutes, was nearing its conclusion when the pilot and one passenger began a low, powered approach to the grass runway.
As the aircraft was clearing a high hedge located before the threshold of Runway 08 north, the pilot experienced a sudden shift in wind direction. This change caused the aircraft to lose altitude unexpectedly. Consequently, the aircraft touched down much earlier than intended, resulting in a heavy impact on the nose landing gear. The force of the landing caused damage to both the nose gear and the aircraft's pod. Both the pilot and the passenger were able to exit the aircraft without any injuries.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The examination focused on the flight conditions and the pilot's approach profile. The pilot acknowledged that the decision to perform a low approach was a significant factor, as the reduced altitude left no margin to compensate for the atmospheric changes encountered near the airfield boundary.