What happened
On 9 July 2018, a Spacek SD-1 Minisport, registration G-MZSP, was performing a private local flight from Popham Airfield in Hampshire. During the takeoff roll on the grass runway 26, the nosewheel lifted from the ground approximately 50 metres into the roll, prior to the aircraft reaching the required rotation speed of 45 knots.
In an attempt to correct the pitch, the pilot moved the control stick forward to lower the nose. This resulted in a heavy touchdown of the nose gear. The impact caused the gear to collapse, leading the propeller to strike the ground and the engine to cease operation. The aircraft came to a halt on the runway. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation examined the sequence of events and the physical damage to the aircraft, which included damage to the nose gear and one propeller blade. The investigation considered the pilot's experience, noting that while the commander held a National Private Pilot’s Licence with 750 total flying hours, only 3 of those hours had been completed on this specific aircraft type. The pilot's recent flying activity was also noted as being relatively low, with 10 hours flown in the preceding 90 days.
Findings
- The pilot's excessive forward movement of the control column during the ground roll contributed to the heavy nose gear touchdown.
- The uneven surface of the grass runway may have played a role in the failure of the nose gear.
- The pilot's limited experience on the specific aircraft type was a factor in the handling of the nosewheel lift.