What happened
On 19 August 2012, an Aerotechnik EV-97 Eurostar, registration G-CBWG, was performing a private flight from a grass farm strip located at Lane Farm, Hay-on-Wye. During the takeoff roll, the aircraft encountered an uneven surface on the runway. After traveling roughly 150 metres, the aircraft struck a bump, which caused it to become airborne at a speed of approximately 45 to 50 mph.
As the aircraft flew at an altitude of about six feet for a brief period, the right wing dropped, leading the aircraft to land heavily on the runway. This impact caused the left main landing gear to bend and the nosewheel to collapse. The propeller also made contact with the ground during the incident. There were no injuries to the pilot or the single passenger on board, though the aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, nosewheel, left main gear, lower engine cowling, and the underside of the fuselage.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the sequence of the takeoff roll and the physical damage to the Aerotechnik EV-97 Eurostar. The investigation established that the aircraft's flight path was interrupted by the uneven terrain of the grass strip, which triggered the loss of control and subsequent structural damage.