What happened
On 5 June 2019, a Vans RV-9, registration G-CDXT, was performing a private flight to a private airstrip in Whippingham, Isle of Wight. The pilot had flown a different aircraft to a location in Sussex to retrieve the Vans RV-9 and was returning to his home airfield.
During the final stages of the approach to the grass runway, the pilot maintained a deliberately low altitude due to concerns regarding the short length of the airstrip and the risk of overrunning the runway. As the aircraft neared the ground, the pilot encountered what he described as windshear, which caused a sudden loss of altitude. To prevent the aircraft from striking a hedge located at the airfield perimeter, the pilot applied nose-up elevator. However, he failed to increase engine power simultaneously. This resulted in an aerodynamic stall, causing the aircraft to strike the ground with significant force near the beginning of the runway. The impact caused the landing gear to collapse and resulted in damage to the propeller, the wing edges, and a puncture to the fuel tank. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The investigation examined the pilot's flight history and the circumstances of the approach. It was noted that while the pilot had recently completed familiarisation flights in the Vans RV-9, he had only one hour of experience on this specific type. The investigation also looked at the cockpit ergonomics, noting that the pilot's primary aircraft, a Piper Cub, featured a left-hand throttle, whereas the Vans RV-9 utilized a right-hand throttle. This difference in configuration was considered a factor in the pilot's failure to apply power during the critical moment of the approach.