What happened
On 27 June 2006, a Europa aircraft, registration G-SHSH, was involved in an accident during a training flight at Kemble Airfield, Gloucestershire. The commander was performing a biennial validation check on a second pilot. Following a successful check, the commander proceeded to fly a standard circuit to Runway 08, which featured an asphalt surface.
Upon landing on the asphalt runway, the aircraft experienced a slight bounce. Once the aircraft was established on the ground, it began to oscillate in both pitch and yaw. The pilot was unable to stabilize these movements, which became increasingly divergent. The oscillations eventually caused the propeller to strike the ground, triggering a rapid yaw to the left. This resulted in the right wing tip scraping the runway surface before the aircraft came to a stop approximately 90 degrees off the runway heading. There were no injuries to the two crew members on board.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft's handling characteristics and the circumstances of the landing. The investigation noted that the commander had significant total flying experience but had only one hour of experience on this specific aircraft type. The aircraft's landing gear configuration, which utilizes a single main wheel, a tail wheel, and wing outriggers, presents unique handling requirements.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the pilot's inability to correct divergent pitch and yaw oscillations following touchdown.
- The commander's lack of experience on the Europa type contributed to the difficulty in managing the aircraft's unique ground handling.
- The use of an asphalt runway surface may have contributed to the instability, as recent guidance suggests that grass strips are more forgiving regarding drift and directional control during the landing rollout.