Accident Summary
On 19 December 2004 at 1245 UTC, a DHC-1 Chipmunk 22, registration G-AOSU, was extensively damaged during a landing attempt at Easterton Airfield near Elgin, Scotland. The sole occupant, a 62-year-old private pilot, sustained serious injuries. The aircraft was powered by a single Lycoming O-360-A4A piston engine and had 10 gallons of fuel on board at the time of the accident.
Flight Details
The pilot had departed on a short local flight and was returning to the airfield, which was covered in a light layer of snow. He joined the right base leg for Runway 27 at 1,000 feet above airfield level, then closed the throttle and selected full flap before turning onto final approach for a glide landing. The pilot intended to land on the first third of the grass runway because the upwind end was wet and soft. Perceiving the aircraft to be too high, he executed a tight S-turn, initially banking left. After rolling out of the second left turn, the pilot realized he was too low and to the right of the runway centerline. He decided to continue, landing diagonally into the surface wind of 190° at 10 knots, a practice not unusual at the airfield. He noted flying into the low winter sun just above the horizon.
Accident and Aftermath
The pilot reported remembering nothing more until becoming conscious in an ambulance. Witnesses observed the aircraft drop its left wing and descend from about 100 feet above airfield level into a field immediately short of the airfield. The left wing struck the ground first, and the aircraft came to rest upright. Fuel spilled but no fire occurred. The unconscious pilot was extricated by observers and taken to hospital, where he was treated for a laceration to his head and back injuries.
Pilot's Account and Conclusions
In a detailed report, the pilot concluded that he had stalled the aircraft during the final turn. He noted that he often closed the throttle on approach to practice for potential engine failures. Although confident he could land from this approach, he lost more height than expected during the S-turn and believed he became locked into landing without power, despite the option to add power and go around. He also considered that the low sun angle may have distracted him from monitoring the airspeed indicator. Additionally, the pilot suggested that wind shear—a known feature at the location with southerly winds—might have caused the unexpected height loss, noting that during part of the S-turn the aircraft was on a northerly heading, flying downwind. He also remarked that his back injuries might have been less severe due to the dynafoam cushion fitted to his seat.