Aircraft Information
The aircraft involved was a Europa, registration G-OJHL, manufactured in 1999. It was powered by a single Rotax 912-UL engine. The commander held a Private Pilot's Licence and was 66 years old, with a total flying experience of 228 hours, of which 60 were on the type. In the last 90 days, he had flown 17 hours, and in the last 28 days, 4 hours.
Accident Details
On 9 June 2001 at 0959 UTC, the aircraft was being flown on a circuit-training sortie to practise crosswind landings at Prestwick Airport, Ayrshire, Scotland. Runway 31 was in use, with a surface wind of 250 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 20 knots in rain showers. After a satisfactory landing, the mono-wheel main landing gear retracted, and the propeller struck the ground, causing propeller damage. There were no injuries to the sole occupant (the pilot).
Landing Gear System
The Europa is equipped with a landing gear selector lever gated in the UP and DOWN positions. To prevent inadvertent retraction on the ground, a safety latch is attached to the lever. When the lever is moved to the DOWN position, the latch moves under its own weight into a guide slot, preventing movement upward unless the latch is deliberately disengaged.
Pilot Statement
In his report, the pilot stated that the probable cause of the accident was his failure to ensure that the landing gear selector and safety latch were properly engaged in the gate before touchdown. He noted that a contributory factor could have been pilot distraction caused by the extra concentration required in the difficult crosswind conditions.
Post-accident Testing
After the incident, the landing gear selector lever was tested and found to function as designed on each selection, confirming that the safety mechanism was operational.