What happened
On 19 June 2017, a Quik GT450, registration G-CFEX, was conducting a training flight at Shobdon Airfield in Herefordshire. During the landing phase, the aircraft touched down on the runway. Following the touchdown, an attempt was made to execute a go-around maneuver.
During this transition, the student pilot mistakenly applied the brakes in conjunction with the throttle. Although the instructor in the aircraft took control of the flight instruments, the braking remained engaged. As a result, the aircraft decelerated and veered off the runway at approximately 10 mph. The excursion ended when the aircraft struck a rut located beside the runway, causing structural damage to the front forks and a slight indentation to the base tube.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report form provided by the pilot. The inquiry focused on the sequence of control inputs during the critical moment between touchdown and the attempted go-around. The investigation established that while the instructor intervened to take control of the aircraft, the continued application of the brakes prevented the aircraft from maintaining the necessary speed for the maneuver.