What happened
On 25 March 2017, a Pegasus XL-Q, registration G-MGCB, was conducting a training flight at Headon Airfield in Nottinghamshire. The flight was being conducted by an instructor and a student pilot, who had 59 hours of total flying experience. The aircraft was not equipped with dual controls at the time of the incident.
The intention for the flight was to complete one circuit using the grass Runway 05 before the instructor would permit the student to fly solo. Weather conditions were favorable, with a light wind from 030º at 6 knots. During the final approach, the student pilot attempted to correct the aircraft's approach path, which caused the airspeed to decrease. This resulted in a heavy touchdown on the runway. The impact caused the nosewheel to collapse and led to a loss of steering control. Consequently, the aircraft drifted off the runway at low speed and overturned. There were no injuries to the two crew members, though the aircraft sustained damage beyond economic repair.
The investigation
The investigation examined the circumstances surrounding the landing and the configuration of the aircraft. It was noted that the student pilot had not flown for four months prior to the accident. The investigation also looked into the instructor's ability to intervene during the flight. It was established that because dual control bars were not installed, the instructor attempted to manipulate the aircraft's rigging wires to intervene when he noticed the student's difficulty on final approach, but this effort proved unsuccessful.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the decay of airspeed following a late correction to the approach path.
- The heavy landing directly led to the collapse of the nosewheel and the subsequent loss of directional control.
- The absence of dual control bars prevented the instructor from effectively assisting the student during the critical phase of the landing.