What happened
On 20 January 2020, a Rutan Long-EZ, registration G-ICON, was preparing for a short local flight from Retford Gamston Airport. After ensuring the engine had reached operating temperature in near-freezing conditions and completing all pre-flight inspections, the pilot requested taxi and departure from Runway 21.
The takeoff proceeded normally until the aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 600 ft. At this point, the engine began to lose power and the engine running became irregular. The pilot attempted to use carburettor heat to rectify the issue, but there was no improvement in performance. Consequently, the pilot initiated a tight circuit to return to Runway 21.
During the short final approach, the pilot observed another aircraft occupying the runway that could not vacate the area in time. To avoid the obstacle, the pilot considered landing at the threshold of Runway 31. However, because this would have necessitated performing S-turns at low altitude and low airspeed, the pilot instead opted to level the wings and land further down the runway. The aircraft subsequently landed alongside Runway 31, roughly halfway along its length. While the touchdown itself was soft, the main landing gear struck an irrigation pipe, which tore the gear from the airframe. The impact caused significant damage to the engine, propeller, nose fairing, and main landing gear.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the sequence of events leading from the engine malfunction to the ground excursion and reviewed the pilot's actions regarding the runway obstruction and the decision-making process during the approach.
Findings
- The pilot attempted to mitigate the engine issue using carburettor heat, but this was unsuccessful.
- The decision to land further down Runway 31 was made to avoid the necessity of low-altitude S-turns.
- The cause for the loss of engine power remained undetermined.
- The aircraft sustained substantial damage due to the main landing gear being ripped from the structure by an irrigation pipe during the off-runway landing.