Incident
On 6 February 1998 at 1530 UTC, a privately operated Europa, registration G-BWON, was conducting a local flight from White Waltham Airfield in Berkshire. The aircraft, powered by a single Rotax 912 piston engine, had been manufactured in 1997. The flight was for general flying practice, with the aircraft owner in the left seat and a second pilot in the right seat. The runway in use was 21, with a wind of 205° at 12 knots.
A normal powered approach was flown, and the aircraft touched down approximately 70 yards from the runway threshold. No brakes were applied. After rolling about 50 yards, the landing gear retracted. The aircraft slid for a further 50 yards and yawed to the left before coming to rest on the left side of the runway. The pilot shut down the systems, and both occupants evacuated safely. Damage was limited to a crack in one propeller blade and a small crack in the cowling.
Landing Gear
The Europa is equipped with a large retractable main wheel on the fuselage centreline, a steerable tailwheel coupled to the rudder pedals, and outriggers mounted on the wings. The main wheel is mounted on a swinging arm, and extension/retraction is controlled by a lever that moves in a slot with detents at each end. A safety latch at the extended position is intended to keep the lever in the 'extended' detent.
The owner recalled lowering the landing gear but could not be sure that he had checked whether the safety latch had properly engaged. Given the bumpy grass runway, he considered it possible that the latch had not fully engaged, and that successive bumps had moved the main gear out of its 'over-centre' position, allowing it to retract.
Similar Occurrence
The accident was similar to a previous Europa incident at Kemble in January 1997 (AAIB Bulletin 3/97). In that case, the landing gear had been lowered, but neither occupant could recall checking that the safety latch had properly engaged. The pilot-in-command of that incident commented that it served as a reminder to verify that landing gear is not only selected down but also confirmed locked down.