What happened
On 27 June 2002, an Aeronca 11AC, registration G-IVOR, was conducting a private flight in Cornwall. After an initial flight from Bodmin to Roserrow Airstrip, the pilot picked up a passenger for a local flight. Upon returning to the unlicensed grass strip, the pilot attempted a landing on Runway 09. Due to the absence of a windsock, the pilot determined the wind direction using visual cues.
The pilot performed the approach at a slightly higher speed than usual. During the subsequent ground roll, the aircraft began drifting toward the left, moving downslope and turning into the wind. The pilot believed the aircraft could safely decelerate within the long grass adjacent to the runway before reaching the parking area. However, the aircraft encountered a previously unseen ditch in the grass, causing it to drop into the depression and rotate 180 degrees. The incident resulted in no injuries to the crew or passenger, but caused damage to the aircraft's landing gear.
The investigation
Investigators examined the circumstances of the landing at the 600-metre grass runway. The investigation focused on the aircraft's path during the ground roll and the terrain features present at the edge of the runway. The assessment confirmed that the pilot's attempt to correct the drift was unsuccessful and that the aircraft's trajectory led it directly into the unobserved ditch.