What happened
On 26 February 2024, a Rans S6-ES, registration G-BZKO, was conducting a general skills test for a licence revalidation near Newtownards Airport. The flight proceeded without incident until, shortly after the completion of an intentional spiral dive, the aircraft's windscreen and skylette assemblies suddenly shattered and detached.
The sudden failure caused a significant in-rush of air, which blew the headsets off both occupants and disrupted verbal communication. While the examiner focused on maintaining control of the aircraft, the pilot used a jacket to shield a microphone from the wind blast to maintain radio contact with the airfield. After approximately 10 miles of flight, the crew successfully returned to the airfield, where emergency services were waiting. Both occupants sustained minor injuries.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft and found that the windscreen and skylight had broken into numerous pieces, with much of the material having departed the aircraft during flight. The impact of the debris caused damage to the right door and tears in the Dacron fuselage covering.
An examination of the glazing installation revealed that the assembly did not comply with the manufacturer's specifications. While the aircraft's build manual required foam strips to be used during installation, these were missing from the G-BZKO assembly. Additionally, the metallic trim strips, which were introduced in 1995 to help distribute loads and prevent cracking around rivet holes, were also absent. The investigation also considered the possibility of a bird strike, though no clear evidence was found to support this.