Aircraft and Flight Information
On 21 May 2001 at 1920 hours, a Cessna U206G (registration G-BSUE) operated by a private pilot departed on a flight to Hollow Lane Farm, Thurston, Suffolk. The aircraft was manufactured in 1978 and powered by a single Continental Motors IO-520-F12 piston engine. The pilot held a Private Pilot's Licence with 1,726 total flying hours, of which 630 were on type, and had flown 6 hours in the preceding 90 days and 3 hours in the preceding 28 days. One passenger was on board.
Accident Details
The landing strip at Hollow Lane Farm is 430 metres long with a dry grass surface. Weather conditions were CAVOK (ceiling and visibility okay), and the surface wind appeared variable at about 5 knots as the aircraft arrived overhead. The pilot made a normal approach to Runway 27, passing over medium-height trees approximately 200 yards before the threshold. Touchdown occurred about one-third of the way into the runway. The pilot applied hard braking but the aircraft did not slow as expected. Realising it was too late to initiate a go-around, the pilot began intense on/off braking. The aircraft departed the right side of the runway and struck the boundary hedge at an estimated speed of 15 to 20 mph.
Post-Accident Observations
After coming to a stop, the pilot performed shut-down checks. Both occupants, who were wearing lap and diagonal upper torso restraints, evacuated the aircraft without injury. Upon exiting, the pilot noticed that the windsock indicated a tailwind of about 5 knots for Runway 27. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the propeller and forward airframe.
Probable Cause
Not stated in the source.