What happened
On 22 April 2021, a Spitfire Mk 21 (registration G-CLKN) was conducting its eleventh test flight at Breighton Airfield. The flight was part of a series of trials intended to secure a Permit to Fly for the aircraft. During the approach to the grass runway, the pilot maintained an airspeed of 80 mph with full flaps selected, aiming for a three-point landing.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft experienced a slight bounce before settling on all three wheels. While the aircraft initially tracked straight, it began to veer to the right approximately 100 metres into the landing roll. In an attempt to correct the direction, the pilot applied opposite rudder and braking, followed by a burst of engine power to increase rudder effectiveness. Despite these efforts, the aircraft departed the runway and collided with a parked aircraft. The incident resulted in no injuries to the pilot, though the propeller was broken and the left wing sustained damage.
The investigation
The investigation examined the mechanical characteristics of the aircraft and the circumstances of the landing. The Spitfire Mk 26 is a two-seat, reduced-scale replica of the historic fighter, featuring retractable main landing gear with differential braking and a steerable tailwheel. A key mechanical feature noted was that the tailwheel steering disengages and enters a castor state when the steering arm reaches full deflection.
The pilot, who possessed extensive experience with tailwheel aircraft, noted that the aircraft had a tendency to land on its main gear first. Recent training had focused on practicing three-point landings. The pilot suggested that a small ridge on the grass runway surface may have contributed to the initial bounce during the landing sequence.