History of the Flight
The pilot reported that he flew from the airstrip at Wing Farm to Bicester on the morning of the accident in order to carry out a cross-country flight in a motor glider. The flight in the motor glider lasted for approximately 4.5 hours. After cleaning and putting the glider away, he departed in his aircraft at approximately 1730 hrs. The wind was from 200° and on arriving at Wing Farm the pilot positioned for a landing on Runway 29, which required a curved left-hand approach to remain clear of a number of trees. The sun was low on the horizon and would be in the pilot’s field of vision during the approach.
Accident Sequence
The first approach was flown slightly fast and the pilot decided to go around. On the second approach he selected full flap which, with the recommended approach speed, resulted in a slightly nose-high attitude. The combination of the high nose attitude and the left bank required to fly the approach meant that the pilot did not realise that the crosswind had caused him to drift toward a tree located on the right side of the approach to the runway. The aircraft flew through the top of the tree causing some damage to the wings and propellers. The pilot landed straight ahead in the field adjacent to the runway.
Injuries and Damage
The pilot, the sole occupant, was uninjured. The aircraft sustained damage to the leading edge on both wings and propeller blades.
Pilot Information
The commander, aged 74, held a Private Pilot’s Licence. He had accumulated 1,000 flying hours, of which 30 were on type. His flying experience in the last 90 days was 0 hours (30 hours on motor glider) and in the last 28 days was 0 hours (10 hours on motor glider).