What happened
On 17 January 1998, an Auster 6A, registration G-ARHM, was participating in the Vintage Aircraft Club 'Snowballrally' at Finmere Aerodrome, Buckinghamshire. During the approach to Runway 28, the pilot observed another aircraft finishing its rollout at the upwind end of the runway, alongside four other aircraft backtracking toward the takeoff position.
To avoid the backtracking group, the pilot flared the aircraft at the runway threshold and used a minimal amount of power to attempt to pass the aircraft ahead before touchdown. As the aircraft lost flying speed, it made a heavy landing in a tail-down attitude, a condition potentially influenced by an aft center of gravity. Following the touchdown, the aircraft lost rudder authority and began weather-cocking into the wind. The aircraft subsequently veered left, striking a stock control fence that ran parallel to the runway. The pilot was unable to apply enough braking to prevent the collision, and the aircraft eventually came to a halt approximately 20 feet into an adjacent field.
There were no injuries to the pilot or the two passengers on board. The impact caused damage to the pitot assembly, propeller blades, landing gear bungees, and a rear lift strut.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the sequence of the approach and the environmental conditions at the time of the incident. The weather was noted as good, though wind conditions were gusty, originating from 230 degrees at 10 to 12 knots with gusts up to 15 knots. The pilot suggested that a sudden lull in these gusty conditions might have occurred at the moment of touchdown, contributing to the loss of airspeed and the heavy landing.