What happened
On 12 July 2020, a Replica WAR FW1t90, registration G-CCFW, was conducting a private flight near Marlborough, Wiltshire. During the afternoon, the pilot attempted to land on the southerly runway of the Lower Upham Farm Airstrip under clear skies and light southwesterly winds.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft did not remain on the grass runway but instead entered a field containing crops located to the left of the strip. Shortly after entering the field, the aircraft came to a violent stop, causing the aircraft to pitch forward onto its back. The pilot was trapped inside the cockpit until emergency services arrived to extricate them. The impact resulted in serious injuries to the pilot and caused extensive damage to the engine, propeller, fuselage, fin, and rudder, rendering the aircraft uneconomic to repair.
The investigation
Investigators examined the landing site and the visual conditions at the time of the accident. The investigation established that the pilot had misidentified the landing area. Due to the similarity in color between the grass runway and the adjacent crops, the pilot mistook the unmarked grass strip for part of the field.
Specifically, the pilot believed they were approaching a section of crop in the field to the right of the runway. However, the aircraft actually entered the field to the left. The investigation noted that tractor marks and the edge of the grass airstrip had created a visual illusion of a 'false' runway, appearing similar in both size and shape to the actual strip. Furthermore, the position of the sun overhead likely reduced the visual contrast between the grass and the crops, making the runway less conspicuous.
Findings
- The pilot misidentified the unmarked grass runway as part of the adjacent crop field.
- Reduced visual contrast between the grass strip and the crops, potentially caused by the overhead sun, contributed to the lack of runway conspicuity.
- Visual illusions created by tractor marks and the airstrip edge led to the mistaken perception of a different runway location.