What happened
On 11 August 2009, a Dart Kitten II, registration G-AEXT, was involved in an accident during a private flight near Aylesbury. The pilot, who had recently acquired the aircraft, was flying from Marsh Hill Farm Airstrip to RAF Halton to conduct familiarisation flights.
During the return leg of the flight, the pilot approached Runway 21 at Marsh Hill Farm. As the aircraft cleared a nearby hedge, the pilot noted that the aircraft had drifted left, positioning the left wing over the standing crop bordering the runway. In an attempt to correct the position, the pilot closed the throttle and applied aileron. However, the nose was not lowered during this manoeuvre, and the resulting low airspeed led to a heavy landing on the right main gear.
This impact caused the inner tube to burst and the tyre to shred. Debris from the tyre and a segment of the wheel rim broke away, striking the underside of the right wing skin. The aircraft slewed to the right before coming to a stop at the edge of the airstrip. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The investigation examined the pilot's recent experience and the circumstances of the landing. It was noted that the pilot had only one hour of flight time on this specific aircraft type. The investigation also reviewed the physical damage to the Dart Kitten II, which included a shredded tyre, a damaged right wheel, and minor damage to the right wing underside.
Findings
- The pilot's lack of familiarity with the Dart Kitten II handling characteristics contributed to the event.
- The relatively narrow width of the Marsh Hill Farm runway, which is only 15 m wide compared to the 60 m wide runways at Halton, played a role.
- The failure to lower the nose upon closing the throttle resulted in a loss of airspeed and a subsequent heavy landing.