What happened
On 4 June 2021, a Rebel aircraft, registration G-BZFT, was performing a private flight at Clench Common Airfield in Wiltshire. During the landing roll on the grass Runway 33, the aircraft began to veer to the left while traveling at a low speed.
In an attempt to correct the directional deviation, the pilot applied right rudder and utilized differential braking via the toe brakes. When these measures proved insufficient, the pilot applied both brakes firmly. This sudden deceleration caused the aircraft to momentarily nose over, resulting in the propeller striking the ground. The aircraft subsequently settled back onto its tailwheel and came to a halt in a grass field adjacent to the runway. There were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger on board.
The investigation
The investigation, based on the accident report submitted by the pilot, focused on the sequence of braking and the resulting mechanical impact. The inspection of the aircraft revealed a deformed tail section side panel, damage to the propeller, and evidence that the engine had been shock loaded due to the propeller strike. The pilot's flying experience was noted, specifically that he had only 6 hours of experience on this particular aircraft type.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced a leftward turn during the low-speed phase of the landing roll.
- The application of heavy braking to correct the turn led to the nose-over motion.
- The pilot identified that a lack of experience on the type contributed to the decision to brake hard at low speed rather than maintaining control of the aircraft until engine shutdown.