Incident Overview
On 24 August 2001, a Europa aircraft registered G-DURO was involved in an incident during landing at Exeter Airfield. The aircraft, powered by a single Rotax 912-UL piston engine and manufactured in 1999, was on a private flight with one pilot and one passenger. Both occupants were uninjured, and the only damage was to the propeller.
Flight Details
The pilot, a 60-year-old male holding a Private Pilot's Licence with 370 hours total flying experience (93 hours on type), joined the circuit at Exeter Airport for a left-hand downwind approach to Runway 26. He configured the aircraft for landing and flew the final approach at 60 knots. The weather at the time was reported as surface wind 200/5-10 knots and CAVOK.
Sequence of Events
The aircraft touched down normally. However, as it slowed, a gust of wind caused it to veer first to the left and then to the right. Due to the low speed, the pilot had little aileron or rudder authority, and the aircraft departed from the right-hand edge of the runway. As the aircraft rolled from the tarmac onto the grass, the nose pitched forward and the propeller struck the ground.
Aftermath
Both the pilot and passenger vacated the aircraft through normal exits after switching off the electrical power. The pilot attributed the cause of the incident to a sudden gust of wind that caused the aircraft to veer, and he was unable to regain control.