What happened
On 15 July 2015, a Quik R, registration G-CGHH, was conducting a private flight along the west coast of the Isle of Harris. The aircraft had departed from Sollas on North Uist, maintaining an altitude between 500 and 700 feet. As the pilot navigated north past Hushinish, they chose to fly through the channel between the Isle of Scarp and Harris to avoid bird activity near the cliffs.
During this maneuver, a bird collided with the aircraft's windscreen. The impact caused a portion of the windscreen to detach from the airframe. Fearing that the remaining section of the windscreen might break off and strike the propeller, the pilot decided to execute a precautionary landing on a nearby beach.
Upon touchdown, the wheels of the aircraft sank into the sand. This caused the aircraft to tip over onto its sail. While there were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger, the aircraft sustained significant damage to the wing structure and sail, along with minor damage to the trike pod.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the sequence of events leading from the flight path selection to the landing on the beach. The inquiry focused on the impact of the bird strike and the subsequent decision-making process regarding the emergency landing and the ground conditions of the beach.