What happened
On 7 September 2014, a Skyranger Swift 912S, registration G-CFBY, was conducting a private flight when it experienced an incident during landing at Eshott Airfield, Northumberland. Following what the pilot initially perceived as a standard touchdown, the aircraft unexpectedly became airborne once more. Before the pilot could apply sufficient power to initiate a go-around, the aircraft struck the ground with significant force on its nosewheel.
The impact resulted in the noseleg forks bending backwards and caused damage to the spat, wheel, tyre, propeller, engine, and gearbox due to shock-loading. The aircraft subsequently veered off the runway and came to a stop. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, sustained no injuries and was able to exit the aircraft safely.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The examination focused on the sequence of events during the landing phase and the environmental conditions at the time of the incident. The investigation established that the aircraft's sudden loss of ground contact was triggered by a gust of wind.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the pilot's failure to react quickly enough to a wind gust after the initial touchdown.
- The pilot had relaxed his control inputs following the perceived successful landing, which prevented an immediate corrective response to the wind.
- The heavy nosewheel impact led to significant structural and mechanical damage, including shock-loading of the engine and gearbox.