What happened
On 25 August 2009, a Druine D.62B Condor, registration G-AWST, was conducting a training flight at Haverfordwest Airfield in Pembrokeshire. The flight was part of a training session involving two crew members, including an instructor and a student pilot. After successfully completing seven circuits, the aircraft was on its eighth circuit when the pilot over-rotated the aircraft during the flare phase of the landing. This resulted in a very firm touchdown on all three wheels. The impact caused damage to the attachment of the left rear wing spar.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the commander and the aircraft owner. Investigators examined the nature of the landing and the structural damage sustained. It was noted that the aircraft owner, who was the student undergoing instruction, had 106 total flying hours, including 11 hours on tailwheel aircraft. The investigation also identified that a previous repair had been performed on the left rear spar attachment, though it was not determined if this prior work contributed to the incident.
Findings
- The primary cause of the damage was an over-rotation during the flare.
- The landing was executed with excessive force on all landing gear components.
- There was no injury to the two crew members on board.