Incident
On 27 November 2003 at approximately 1230 UTC, a privately operated Europa (registration G-BXDY) was on a long final approach to Runway 23 at Sleap Airfield, Shropshire. Three other aircraft were positioning to land ahead of it. The first two landed and held at the far end of the runway, while the third landed and backtracked to the runway intersection. The pilot of the Europa reported that these events occupied his attention, and the runway only became clear at a very late stage of his approach.
Aircraft and Pilot
The aircraft was a 1997 Europa, powered by one Rotax 912-UL piston engine. It was equipped with retractable landing gear, which in this model uses a single cockpit lever to simultaneously lower the flaps, mono-wheel, and outriggers. This configuration change significantly alters the aircraft's approach attitude. The pilot, aged 57, held a Private Pilot's Licence and had accumulated 808 hours of flying experience, 739 of which were on type. His recent flying included 49 hours in the last 90 days and 10 hours in the last 28 days. Both the pilot and the sole passenger were uninjured; damage was limited to the propeller blades.
Landing and Aftermath
As the aircraft touched down, the pilot immediately realized that the landing gear had not been lowered. The tailwheel made contact first, and the aircraft came to a stop after approximately 70 feet. The pilot commented that he was surprised the unusual landing attitude had not alerted him to the incorrect configuration, and believed his distraction by the preceding traffic was entirely responsible for the oversight.