What happened
On 18 October 2011, a Europa XS motor glider, registration G-CBHI, was conducting flight tests at Chilbolton (Stonefield Park) Airfield in Hampshire. The aircraft, a prototype variant being used for spin trials, was on its third flight of the day. As wind speeds began to rise, the pilot decided to land into the wind by performing a curved approach across a grass runway, a maneuver requiring careful navigation to avoid tall hedges, overhead cables, and supporting poles.
During the pre-landing checks, the pilot focused on maintaining clearance from these obstacles. In the process, the pilot unintentionally moved the airbrake lever, which resulted in the landing gear remaining in the retracted position. The aircraft subsequently landed with the gear up and the airbrakes extended, causing damage to the propeller blade tip and the wheelbay. No injuries were reported.
The investigation
The investigation examined the cockpit configuration and the mechanical operation of the flight controls. The Europa XS motor glider variant features a larger wing equipped with airbrakes. On G-CBHI, the lever for the airbrakes was positioned immediately adjacent to the single lever used for both the landing gear and flaps.
Investigators found that moving the airbrake lever rearward causes the airbrakes to extend, which is the same direction required to extend the landing gear and flaps. Furthermore, the investigation noted that the aircraft lacks a landing gear position indicator or a warning horn. While the standard short-wing version of this aircraft provides a noticeable change in pitch attitude when the gear is extended, this specific motor glider variant does not exhibit a significant change in nose attitude when the gear is deployed.
Findings
- The pilot failed to confirm the landing gear was extended due to intense focus on obstacle clearance during a complex approach.
- The proximity of the airbrake lever to the landing gear and flap selector lever led to the unintentional retraction of the gear.
- The aircraft was not equipped with a landing gear warning system or a visual position indicator.
- The lack of a significant change in aircraft pitch attitude when deploying the gear prevented the pilot from visually detecting the error.