What happened
On 27 November 2003, a Europa aircraft, registration G-BXDY, was performing a private flight at Sleap Airfield in Shropshire. While established on a long final approach to runway 23, the pilot was managing a sequence of three preceding aircraft. The first two aircraft landed and held at the far end of the runway, while the third aircraft landed and then backtracked to the runway intersection.
These movements on the runway occupied the pilot's attention during the final stages of the approach. Consequently, the runway only became clear to the pilot at a very late stage of the landing sequence. Upon touchdown, the pilot realized that the landing gear had not been deployed, as the tailwheel made contact with the asphalt first. The aircraft came to a halt after traveling approximately 70 feet.
The investigation
The investigation examined the configuration of the aircraft and the cockpit controls. The retractable landing gear version of the Europa utilizes a single lever in the cockpit to simultaneously lower the flaps, the mono-wheel, and the outriggers. This specific mechanical action results in a significant change to the aircraft's approach attitude.
Investigators established that the pilot was aware of the preceding aircraft's movements, which served as a primary distraction. The pilot noted that despite the unusual attitude caused by the incorrect configuration, the distraction prevented him from noticing the error before touchdown. The incident resulted in damage to propeller blades but no injuries to the crew.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the pilot's attention being diverted by other aircraft performing landing and backtracking maneuvers on the runway.
- The pilot failed to notice that the landing gear had not been lowered due to the distraction caused by the runway traffic.
- The single-lever control system, which alters the aircraft's attitude when the gear is deployed, did not alert the pilot to the incorrect configuration during the approach.