Accident Overview
On 13 October 2001, at approximately 1350 UTC, a privately operated Europa aircraft, registration G-FLOR, sustained damage during a landing accident at Pent Farm, Kent. The pilot, the sole occupant, was uninjured. The aircraft was equipped with a single Rotax 912-UL piston engine and had been manufactured in 1999.
Pilot Experience and Background
The pilot held a Private Pilot's Licence and was 61 years old. His total flying experience amounted to 294 hours, of which 31 hours were on the Europa type. In the preceding 90 days, he had flown 14 hours, with 2 hours in the last 28 days.
Sequence of Events
After cleaning the aircraft, the pilot conducted his pre-flight checks before changing his clothes. Noting a large number of insects in the area, he left the pitot cover on. Upon returning, he inadvertently did not remove the cover before departing. Late in the take-off roll, he observed that the airspeed indicator (ASI) was not functioning and realized his oversight. He proceeded with the take-off, raised the landing gear, and climbed to 800 feet above ground level.
Deciding to return immediately, the pilot entered the circuit. On final approach, he lowered the landing gear but failed to confirm that the gear was down and locked. The gear was down but not locked, and upon touchdown, the main wheel retracted. The propeller struck the ground, and the aircraft slid to a halt.
Pilot's Comments
In a voluntary report, the pilot identified that the accident occurred due to two deviations from his normal procedures: first, he changed his routine by performing the pre-flight checks earlier and not repeating them just before flight; second, after becoming airborne with a known problem (inoperative ASI), he did not take additional time to plan the approach, which would have allowed for a complete pre-landing check.