What happened
On 21 May 2007, a Europa aircraft, registration G-BWRO, was conducting a short local flight from Fishburn Airfield in County Durham. The flight was a private operation, and the weather conditions at the time of departure featured good visibility and a light southerly wind. After approximately 30 minutes, the pilot returned to the airfield, noting that the wind conditions remained consistent with those present during takeoff.
During the approach for Runway 26, the pilot chose this runway to take advantage of a 1.6% upslope, which would help mitigate a light crosswind. The approach proceeded normally with the aircraft crabbed slightly to the left to compensate for wind drift. However, as the aircraft reached approximately 15 feet above the runway threshold, it experienced a rapid loss of altitude. Upon touchdown, the aircraft began to veer toward the left. The pilot attempted an immediate go-around by applying full power, but the aircraft failed to accelerate sufficiently to overcome the runway gradient. Consequently, the aircraft exited the runway to the left, traveling roughly 200 meters before coming to a stop in a hedge located parallel to the runway. There were no injuries to the two occupants.
The investigation
Investigators established that during the final stages of the approach, the aircraft encountered a significant and sudden shift in wind conditions. The wind transitioned from a light southerly crosswind to an easterly tailwind of approximately 10 to 12 knots. This change was verified by observers on the ground. The investigation also examined the aircraft's performance during the attempted go-around, noting that the engine power was insufficient to climb the runway's upslope under the new wind conditions.