What happened
On 31 March 2019, a Vans RV-6A, registration G-CKTF, was conducting a private flight originally destined for Calais-Dunkerque Airport. During the flight, the pilot encountered deteriorating visibility near Rochester and decided to divert to Stapleford Aerodrome in Essex.
The aircraft landed on the grass runway 03L. While the pilot was performing a left turn to vacate the runway, the nose landing gear failed. This failure occurred after the gear encountered soft ground within a depression on the airfield. As a result of the gear collapse, the aircraft tipped onto its left wingtip and nose. The propeller made contact with the ground before the aircraft eventually settled back onto its main wheels. No injuries were sustained by the pilot or the passenger.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the condition of the airfield surface and the mechanics of the gear failure. The AAIB examined the damage to the nose landing gear, the propeller, and the potential for engine shock-loading caused by the ground impact. The investigation established that the nose gear dug into soft ground located in a depression on the grass runway during the turn-off maneuver.