What happened
On 7 July 2002, a Casa 1-131E3B, registration G-BXBD, was engaged in a private flight involving fuel system air tests and aerobatic maneuvers. Following a flight lasting approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes, the pilot elected to perform a practice forced landing. Prior to the maneuver, the pilot notified local traffic of the intended landing via two radio transmissions.
The approach was directed toward the grass Runway 21 at Kemble Airfield, with surface winds recorded at 210 degrees at 20 knots. As the aircraft neared the runway threshold, the pilot identified that the aircraft possessed excessive altitude and airspeed. During an attempt to reduce speed, the pilot spotted another aircraft positioned on the tarmac of Runway 27 and executed a slight right turn to maintain separation. During this maneuver, the aircraft experienced a sudden drop onto the grass. The subsequent hard impact caused the aircraft to bounce, leading to the collapse of the main landing gear, which brought the aircraft to a stop.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The examination focused on the flight parameters during the approach and the environmental conditions at the time of the incident. The pilot noted that the sudden descent was experienced as a result of windshear. Furthermore, the pilot reflected that the approach could have been managed by accepting a touchdown at a higher speed further down the runway to avoid the necessity of the sudden maneuver.
Findings
- The aircraft was a single-engine biplane performing a simulated emergency procedure.
- The pilot performed a corrective turn to avoid a potential collision with another aircraft on the tarmac.
- The primary contributing factor was the sudden loss of lift or descent rate, attributed by the pilot to windshear.