What happened
On 9 April 2018, a Quik GT450, registration G-TBLB, was conducting a private flight from Arclid Airfield to Longford Airfield in Shropshire. The purpose of the flight was to present the aircraft for its scheduled Permit to Fly inspection.
At the time of arrival, the weather conditions at Longford Airfield were deteriorating, with light rain reported. Despite the worsening weather, the pilot proceeded with the landing. Upon touchdown, the aircraft struck the ground with significant force, causing the aircraft to bounce. This heavy landing resulted in structural damage to the aircraft's wing and pod.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, was uninjured and was wearing a helmet and a lap and diagonal harness at the time of the event.
Investigators examined the pilot's decision-making regarding the weather and the landing technique. The pilot noted that while his training had instructed him to perform a go-around in the event of 'ballooning' during a landing, he instead attempted to recover the aircraft during this specific occurrence.