Accident
On 9 November 2002 at 1550 UTC, a Cessna 120, registration G-BRPE, was involved in an accident during landing at South Lodge Farm, Widmerpool, Nottinghamshire. The aircraft sustained damage to its right wing, tail, engine cowlings, and propeller; the engine was shock loaded.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The aircraft was a single-engine Cessna 120 (year of manufacture 1947) powered by a Continental Motors Corp C85-12F piston engine. The pilot held a Private Pilot's Licence and was 58 years old. His total flying experience was 272 hours, of which 31 were on type. In the last 90 days he had flown 23 hours, and in the last 28 days, 6 hours. There were two persons on board, both crew, and no passengers. No injuries were reported.
Flight Details
The flight from Sandtoft Aerodrome to South Lodge Farm was uneventful. The farm strip is approximately 600 metres long and 25 metres wide. At the eastern end, there is a flat area followed by a downslope estimated at 1 in 20 over about 100 metres. From midway, a gentle upslope leads to the end of the strip near the hangar. The weather was good with a surface wind of 190°/4 kt. The pilot was aware that the grass landing surface was wet. He chose to land in a westerly direction due to the hangar's location and to avoid a difficult turn on the wet grass after landing in the opposite direction.
Landing and Accident Sequence
The pilot initiated a westerly approach. The landing was heavy, occurring on the downslope, and the aircraft bounced. The pilot believed the landing was controllable but, towards the middle of the strip, the aircraft pitched forward, causing the propeller to strike the ground. The aircraft then turned onto its back and came to rest.
Pilot's Review
In his review, the pilot considered that he should have initiated a go-around immediately after the bounce. He also thought he had been overly concerned about a turn on the wet grass and, in hindsight, believed he should have taken advantage of the upslope and landed in an easterly direction.