What happened
On 31 July 2004, an Aero Commander Callair A-9A, registration G-TDFS, was conducting a private flight at Derby Airfield. The pilot, who owned the aircraft, was performing his first flight in this specific type. Prior to the flight, the pilot had observed a demonstration by an experienced pilot and received a full briefing. The weather conditions were favorable, with light winds.
Following a successful takeoff, the pilot performed various handling maneuvers, including stalls, before returning for landing. During the initial approach to the grass runway, the aircraft was configured with flaps and flying at a briefed speed of 65 mph. As the aircraft crossed the threshold, the airspeed dropped to approximately 60 mph. The aircraft touched down in a tail-low attitude, causing a bounce. In an attempt to correct the situation, the pilot applied power, but the aircraft underwent a second, much heavier bounce on the main landing gear. As the pilot attempted a go-around, the aircraft entered a stall at an altitude of roughly 30 feet. This resulted in the aircraft striking the runway with the left wing low, causing the left landing gear to collapse and resulting in damage to the propeller and engine shockloading. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report form provided by the pilot. Investigators examined the sequence of the landing attempt, the aircraft's configuration, and the pilot's maneuvers following the initial touchdown. The investigation established that the pilot was aware of the slightly low airspeed during the final approach but felt the aircraft was handling comfortably until the bounce occurred.