What happened
During a local flight test operation at Wisley Airport, the crew was performing routine maneuvers. Following approximately two and a half hours of flight time, the instructor transitioned control of the aircraft type to the co-pilot to conduct two circuits for familiarization purposes.
As the aircraft approached the runway on final approach, it maintained an altitude slightly below the established glide path. The plane made initial contact with the ground in a slight nose-down orientation, which caused it to bounce to an altitude of approximately 20 feet. After this first impact, the aircraft struck the runway surface a second time, reaching a height of roughly 50 feet.
During this sequence, the nose landing gear made primary contact with the ground and subsequently collapsed. This loss of structural integrity caused the aircraft to skid along the runway, during which it lost its right main landing gear before finally coming to a stop.
Findings
- The 5 crew members on board escaped the incident without any injuries.
- The aircraft sustained damage that rendered it a total loss.
- The primary factor in the accident was the nose gear collapse following multiple bounces during the landing phase.