What happened
On 24 July 2013, an Aero AT-3 R100, registration G-SACW, was performing a private flight at Sherburn in Elmet Airfield in North Yorkshire. The weather was clear with light winds. Following a local flight, the pilot initiated a standard approach to Runway 24. During the landing phase, the pilot flared the aircraft slightly too early, which resulted in a heavy touchdown. This impact caused the aircraft to bounce. Upon the second contact with the grass runway, the nose leg failed and sheared off. As the aircraft pitched forward, the propeller was destroyed and the cockpit floor was ruptured. The aircraft eventually came to a halt approximately halfway down the 793-metre runway. The pilot sustained no injuries.
The investigation
The investigation examined the sequence of the landing and the structural failure of the landing gear. Investigators noted that the pilot's approach was normal, but the premature flare led to an uncontrolled attitude at touchdown. The investigation also reviewed the history of the aircraft type, noting that since 2007, the AAIB had investigated 12 accidents involving the Aero AT-3 R100. Of these, five involved heavy or bounced landings that specifically resulted in damage to the nose gear, with the nose leg shearing off in four of those instances.