History of Flight
On 31 August 2018 at 1800 UTC, a Pulsar amateur-built aircraft, registration G-LUED, was landing at Sturgate Airfield, Lincolnshire, after a private flight. The pilot had assessed the takeoff weather as fair with a 5 kt breeze from the southwest. Before landing, he checked the windsock and judged the wind to be more southerly but still suitable for Runway 27. The aircraft touched down at the start of the runway but failed to decelerate as anticipated. It overran the 820 m landing distance available and crossed an unprepared surface before its mainwheels dropped into a ditch. The aircraft then nosed over and came to rest inverted, heading approximately 100° magnetic, with its tail adjacent to a public road. The pilot and passenger were helped out of the aircraft by occupants of a passing car.
Witness Observations
A second pilot who had recently landed and was standing south of the main runway witnessed the approach and landing. He judged the touchdown point to be significantly inset into the runway. He heard the engine note rise, as if the pilot was attempting a go-around. He did not see the aircraft enter the ditch but ran over and found two passers-by helping the occupants. The witness noted no evidence of the tailwheel having been on the ground during the overrun, which was corroborated by photographic evidence showing only mainwheel marks on the runway.
Pilot Report
The pilot did not report the actual threshold speed. He stated he did not attempt to abort the landing, believing the two-stroke engine would not accelerate sufficiently quickly for a successful go-around. He considered that the wind had shifted to the southeast during approach and believed an unexpected tailwind caused the overrun.
Aircraft Information
G-LUED was a Pulsar, a two-seat, low-wing, amateur-built aircraft with a tailwheel configuration, powered by one Rotax 582 two-stroke piston engine (year of manufacture 1996, serial no. PFA 202-12122). The Pulsar Operating Handbook (POH) recommends clearing the engine during descents to prevent spark plug fouling. A senior Light Aircraft Association engineer and pilot reported that the Pulsar handles well on landing but can float in ground effect at speeds higher than the recommended 65–70 mph. Evidence showed that G-LUED's flaps were in the landing position. The aircraft kit manufacturer had ceased trading, so definitive landing distance figures were unavailable. A previous AAIB report on a Pulsar accident stated the landing ground roll was estimated at approximately 800 ft (243 m), but conditions were not specified.
Analysis
The investigation considered that even with a small tailwind, a nominal landing ground run of 243 m should have allowed the aircraft to stop within the 820 m available. The lack of tailwheel marks indicated the tail was still flying when the aircraft left the prepared surface. The evidence suggested the aircraft touched down further along the runway than the pilot estimated, as observed by the witness. Possible contributing factors include wind effects and a tendency for the aircraft to float in ground effect, leading to a deep landing and overrun. The pilot's lack of confidence in the engine's accelerative capability may explain why he did not attempt a go-around.
Conclusion
This accident occurred because the aircraft was not stopped in the landing distance available.