What happened
On 18 September 2015, a Vans RV-9A, registration G-XSAM, was performing a private landing on the grass runway at Old Sarum Airfield in Wiltshire. The flight, which took place shortly after sunset, proceeded normally through the initial touchdown and the beginning of the ground roll. However, as the aircraft decelerated, the nose landing gear suddenly collapsed backwards. This failure caused the nose and the propeller to strike the ground before the aircraft reached a complete stop.
There were no injuries to the pilot or the single passenger on board. The impact resulted in damage to the propeller, the nose of the aircraft, and the nose landing gear.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and found that the nose landing gear leg had folded backwards, with visible distortion in the nosewheel fork. This pattern of damage is characteristic of the nose gear being subjected to extreme loads. Specifically, when the fork bends and the wheel digs into the ground, the resulting drag on a grass surface can cause the leg to buckle near its mounts.
The pilot noted that the runway surface was somewhat bumpy, though no significant impacts were felt. The pilot also maintained that the landing technique used was consistent with previous successful landings performed earlier that day and observed during the day.