History of the Flight
The pilot, who held a Private Pilot's Licence with 188 total flying hours including 9 hours on type, departed from his home airfield at Crowfield, near Norwich, for a cross-country flight in a Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub fitted with a tailwheel. While abeam Lowestoft at 1,900 ft, the pilot noticed oil dripping onto his left leg. The oil pressure was 70 psi, so he decided to return to Crowfield, approximately 20-25 minutes away. As the oil continued to drip and the pressure decreased to 60 psi (the bottom of the green arc), with oil temperature remaining normal, he chose to make a precautionary landing at nearby Beccles Airfield. He advised the radio operator at Beccles of the situation and joined the circuit late downwind to land on Runway 09.
The pilot, concerned the engine might fail, flew a high approach aiming for a touchdown halfway along the concrete runway section, intending to stop on the grass. However, after a subsequent exchange with the radio operator, he believed that only the concrete section was available for landing. This was his first landing of a tailwheel aircraft on a hard surface.
With a 10 kt crosswind, the pilot crossed the threshold slightly fast and high with full flap selected. The aircraft floated and bounced after touchdown before settling in a three-point attitude. As the end of the concrete approached, the pilot attempted to correct a yaw to the right by applying full left rudder; he did not use the wheel brakes. As the aircraft decelerated, it yawed right, and the main wheels ran onto the soft grass at the runway edge, causing the aircraft to slowly nose over and come to rest inverted. The pilot was uninjured.
Beccles Airfield
Beccles Airfield has a single runway aligned 09/27. The first 500 m of Runway 09 is concrete, followed by 250 m of grass. The Landing Distance Available (LDA) is 624 m.
Damage
The propeller blade was bent, the engine was shock-loaded, and damage occurred to the wings, fin, rudder, and windscreen.