Synopsis
On 8 May 2000 at 1400 hours UTC, a Europa light aircraft, registration G-OGAN, was involved in an accident while landing at Wickenby Airport in Lincolnshire. The aircraft was on a private flight with only the pilot on board. The pilot was not injured. The aircraft sustained damage to its landing gear, wing tips, cowling, engine, and propeller.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The Europa (G-OGAN) was manufactured in 1999 and powered by a single Rotax 912 ULS piston engine. The pilot, aged 59, held a Private Pilot's Licence and had a total flying experience of 67 hours, of which 2 hours were on the Europa type. In the 90 days prior to the accident, he had flown 2 hours.
Accident Narrative
The pilot was landing on Runway 03 at Wickenby. The weather was good with the wind from 030° at 5 knots, gusting to 9 knots from 045°. The pilot reported that he approached the runway at 60 knots with full flap selected. During the round-out, the aircraft began to oscillate in pitch. He corrected by increasing power, but the aircraft then banked to the left, causing the left wing to strike oilseed rape crop adjacent to the runway. The aircraft slewed left and came to rest upright.
Causation
The pilot assessed the cause of the accident as his lack of familiarity with the all-flying tail design of the Europa, combined with the possibility that a gust of wind from the right had caused the upset.