What happened
On 19 June 2014, a Rans S6-116 Coyote II, registration G-BVZV, was performing a private flight at a private airstrip located near Oldbury-on-Severn, Gloucestershire. During the approach to grass Runway 28, the weather conditions were clear with visibility well above required minimums and a north-east wind of 10 knots.
As the aircraft approached the runway, it experienced a float along the grass surface before bouncing back into the air. Upon the second touchdown, the nose landing gear failed. This caused the propeller to strike the ground, leading the aircraft to tip forward and eventually come to rest in an inverted position. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, exited the aircraft via the standard exit and sustained no injuries.
The investigation
The investigation, prompted by the pilot's accident report, examined the sequence of the landing and the mechanical state of the aircraft. The assessment focused on the touchdown dynamics and the physical impact of the landing gear failure. The investigation noted that the aircraft sustained damage to the firewall, fin, rear fuselage, and the flying strut.
Findings
Several factors contributed to the accident, including a higher-than-normal groundspeed at the moment of touchdown, which the pilot attributed to a tailwind component. The landing sequence was further complicated by a bounce and the pilot's subsequent attempts to correct the flightpath, alongside the slight upward slope of the runway. A significant contributing factor was the collapse of the nose landing gear, which the pilot described as being lightly engineered.