Accident Overview
On 6 July 2018 at 1550 UTC, a Quik GT450 microlight, registration G-CGSO, was involved in an accident at Moss Edge Farm, Cockerham, Lancashire. The aircraft was conducting a training flight with two crew members on board and no passengers. The commander, a 61-year-old student pilot, had 481 hours total flying experience, with only 3 hours on type, all within the previous 28 days.
Flight Details
The accident occurred during the fourth training flight for the front seat pilot, who was converting from fixed-wing to flex-wing aircraft. After completing two uneventful touch-and-go landings, the student pilot positioned the aircraft for an approach to Moss Edge Farm Airfield. On short finals, the aircraft drifted left towards a field of barley. The student elected to go around, selected full power, and instinctively pulled the control bar. This action caused the aircraft to descend rapidly and land heavily in the barley field, coming to rest on its side.
Injuries and Damage
Both pilots were able to vacate the aircraft without external assistance. The front seat pilot sustained a broken arm, classified as a serious injury, while the other crew member received minor injuries. The aircraft suffered severe damage to its wing and repairable damage to the trike.
Cause
The instructor assessed that the accident was caused by the student using an instinctive rearwards control input when the opposite input was required. Due to the low height at which the go-around was initiated, there was insufficient time for the instructor to recover the situation.