What happened
On 14 May 2017, a Pegasus Quik, registration G-FLEX, was conducting a private scenic flight from Winscott Barton Farm in Bideford, Devon. The pilot, who had been using this field for 13 years, initially departed with a 13 kt headwind. Following an hour of flight, the pilot returned to the site and observed wind speeds between 13 and 18 kt coming from approximately 240°.
During the initial approach on a 270° track, the pilot encountered turbulence at 300 ft and elected to perform a go-around. While maneuvering downwind, the pilot identified an alternative landing field but decided to attempt one more landing at the original site, intending to divert if conditions remained unstable. On the subsequent approach, the pilot adjusted the heading to 260° to better account for the wind. As the aircraft reached approximately 10 ft during the flare, it was struck by a significant downward force. This caused the aircraft to pitch forward uncontrollably, leading the nosewheel to strike the ground and the aircraft to flip onto its right wing. Both the pilot and the passenger sustained minor injuries.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the atmospheric conditions and the aircraft's behavior during the landing phase. The pilot reported that the aircraft suffered damage to the propeller, nosewheel, right wing, and pod. The pilot noted that while he had operated in similar wind conditions previously without issue, the specific timing of this gust occurred at a critical moment during the flare.
Findings
- The aircraft was struck by a strong downward gust during the landing flare.
- The pilot's assessment suggested the gust may have been caused by rotor activity from a nearby hill brow, where the terrain drops away steeply.
- The force of the wind caused an uncontrollable forward pitch, resulting in the aircraft flipping inverted.