What happened
On 24 September 2017, a Pegasus Quik GT450, registration G-CDUU, was conducting a private local flight departing from a nearby farm strip. Following a fifty-minute duration, the pilot attempted to land on Runway 11 at Orston Airfield, where the wind was recorded at approximately 14 knots from 080 degrees.
During the final stages of the approach, at an altitude of roughly 10 to 15 feet, the aircraft was struck by a gust that displaced it from the extended centerline. In the process of attempting to correct the aircraft's position, the pilot failed to reduce the rate of descent before touchdown. The aircraft made a heavy landing and subsequently veered across the runway, eventually coming to a stop in the rough grass on the right-hand side of the strip. The impact caused damage to the nosewheel forks and the fibreglass pod, though the pilot sustained no injuries.
The investigation
The investigation established that the pilot was unfamiliar with the specific turbulence patterns at this runway, which are influenced by nearby trees and farm buildings. The pilot noted that the down-sloping nature of the runway contributed to a sense of disorientation during the landing phase. Furthermore, the pilot reflected that the incident could have been avoided had they performed several practice circuits in calm conditions to become accustomed to the runway environment before attempting a landing in crosswind conditions.