Accident Overview
On 5 June 2019 at 1420 UTC, a Vans RV-9 aircraft, registration G-CDXT, sustained substantial damage during a landing accident at a private airstrip in Whippingham, Isle of Wight. The single-engine aircraft, powered by a Lycoming O-320-D1A piston engine, was manufactured in 2006. The pilot, the sole occupant, held a Private Pilot's Licence and had 651 hours total flying experience, with only 1 hour on type. He was uninjured.
History of the Flight
The pilot planned to fly G-CDXT, owned by a friend, on an overseas trip. The pilot had most of his experience on tail-dragging aircraft and operated a Piper Cub from a 580 m long private grass airstrip on the Isle of Wight. Several weeks before the accident, he flew G-CDXT with the owner for familiarisation at Clacton Airfield, which has a grass runway just over 500 m. That flight and a subsequent solo flight were uneventful.
On the accident day, the pilot flew his Piper Cub to a private airstrip in Sussex to collect G-CDXT and return to his Isle of Wight strip. The weather was good with a westerly wind of about 10 kt. He positioned G-CDXT for an approach into wind to the grass strip. The pilot reported that he was deliberately low on the approach, concerned about overrunning the relatively short airstrip.
The Accident
Just prior to landing, the aircraft encountered what the pilot described as 'windshear', causing a loss of height. Thinking the aircraft would hit a low hedge at the airfield boundary, the pilot applied nose-up elevator without increasing power. The aircraft stalled, hitting the ground near the start of the airstrip with sufficient force to collapse the landing gear and damage the propeller, wing leading edges, and fuel tank. The pilot made the aircraft safe and climbed out unaided.
Pilot's Comments
The pilot noted that his normal aircraft, a Piper Cub, has the throttle on the left, whereas G-CDXT has it on the right. He believed this difference contributed to his not applying power when he raised the nose to avoid the hedge. He also commented that had he flown a normal approach path, he would have had enough height to lower the nose and maintain speed in the windshear. Despite no issues during familiarisation, the pilot thought more experience at a larger airfield might have been beneficial before operating to the more challenging airstrip where the accident occurred.