What happened
On 27 May 2017, a Rans S6-ESD (Modified) Coyote II, registration G-MYIS, was performing a private flight at Northrepps Airfield, Norfolk. While the pilot was executing a landing approach on Runway 22, the aircraft encountered a sudden, uncommanded loss of altitude as it crossed a railway embankment.
To alert pilots to the presence of overhead electricity cables and the nearby railway embankment, the airfield utilizes a visual warning system consisting of poles and spinning red and white markers. As the aircraft descended, the pilot attempted to increase engine power to compensate for the loss of height. However, the descent could not be arrested in time, and the right wing support struts made contact with the top of a marker pole located to the right of the runway. This impact caused the right rear wing strut to break. Despite the structural damage, the pilot managed to complete the landing without further incident.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the circumstances leading to the altitude loss and the subsequent impact with the airfield's obstacle marking system. The inquiry examined the configuration of Runway 22, noting that the threshold is displaced by 125 m and that the approach path is constrained by a railway embankment and power lines. The investigation reviewed the pilot's actions in response to the uncommanded descent and the physical damage sustained by the aircraft's airframe.