Aircraft and Pilot Information
The aircraft involved was a Cessna 180K Skywagon, registration G-BETG, manufactured in 1977. It was equipped with one Continental O-470-U piston engine. The pilot, aged 52, held a Private Pilot's Licence and had accumulated 317 flying hours, with 10 hours on type. In the 90 days preceding the incident, he flew 11 hours, including 1 hour in the last 28 days.
Flight and Incident Sequence
On 5 October 2003 at 1050 UTC, the aircraft was landing on Runway 29 at White Waltham Airfield, Berkshire, after a flight from Somerset. The pilot reported a consistent crosswind from the north-west during the final approach. After touching down on the runway centreline, the aircraft experienced an abrupt swing to the right. The pilot applied left rudder input, but the swing continued, and the aircraft eventually came to a stop at right angles to the runway heading.
Damage
The incident resulted in damage to the left main landing gear, the underside of the fuselage, both left and right door posts, and the firewall. The pilot was uninjured.
Sources
This article is based on the AAIB Bulletin No. 2/2004, Ref: EW/G2003/10/02.