What happened
On 6 February 1998, a Europa aircraft, registration G-BWON, was conducting a private local flight from White Waltham Airfield in Berkshire. The aircraft was occupied by two pilots, with the owner occupying the left-hand seat. During the approach to runway 21, under wind conditions of 205 degrees at 12 knots, the pilot performed a standard powered approach and touched down approximately 70 yards from the runway threshold.
Following the touchdown, the pilot did not apply the brakes. The aircraft traveled roughly 50 yards along the grass runway before the main landing gear unexpectedly retracted. This caused the aircraft to slide for an additional 50 yards and yaw toward the left, eventually coming to rest on its left side. There were no injuries to the occupants, though the aircraft sustained a crack in one propeller blade and a small crack in the cowling.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical operation of the landing gear system. The Europa features a large retractable mainwheel positioned on the fuselage centerline, operated via a swinging arm arrangement controlled by a retraction lever. This lever operates within a slot featuring detents at both ends, and includes a safety latch designed to secure the lever in the extended position.
The pilot noted that while the gear had been lowered, he could not confirm if the safety latch had properly engaged. Given the uneven surface of the grass runway, the investigation considered whether physical bumps during the landing roll had moved the gear out of its over-centre position, subsequently triggering the retraction mechanism.