What happened
On 12 August 2017, a Vans RV-7A, registration G-ELVN, was performing a private flight at Sywell Aerodrome in Northamptonshire. During the landing phase on Runway 23, the aircraft experienced a heavy touchdown on its nose landing gear. This impact caused the gear to collapse, leading the propeller to strike the ground. The aircraft subsequently slid across the grass surface, coming to rest in a tail-high position supported by the engine cowling and the left wingtip. There were no fatalities and no injuries to the pilot or the passenger, who were able to exit the aircraft via the canopy.
The investigation
The investigation examined the landing conditions and the aircraft's mechanical state. The pilot noted that while he had successfully landed on the same runway earlier that day, he found it difficult to judge the aircraft's height above the grass surface during this specific approach. He reported that the featureless nature of the grass and the difficulty in seeing the recessed runway edge markings made height estimation challenging.
Investigators also reviewed the airfield's markings, which were found to be in compliance with regulatory standards and had been recently maintained. Post-accident photographs of the runway showed marks indicating the aircraft had bounced after the initial heavy impact. Additionally, the AAIB reviewed the structural history of the RV series nose gear, noting previous instances of similar collapses on grass surfaces. It was noted that the aircraft was equipped with an 'Anti Splat kit' designed to mitigate nose gear resonance.
Findings
- The pilot struggled to accurately judge the aircraft's height above the runway due to a lack of visible ground features on the grass surface.
- The aircraft experienced a heavy landing on the nose landing gear, which triggered the structural failure.
- The landing surface was a grass runway, which the pilot was not intimately familiar with.