Incident Overview
On 27 August 2005, at approximately 1450 UTC, a privately operated Europa XS, registration G-CGDH, was involved in an accident while landing on grass Runway 27 at North Moor, Lincolnshire. The aircraft sustained damage including the need for a port wing replacement, damaged propeller, engine shock loading, and fuselage damage. The sole occupant, the pilot, was not injured.
Sequence of Events
The approach to the grass runway was normal. However, the touchdown was harder than the pilot considered desirable, causing the aircraft to bounce and roll to the right. The pilot attempted to correct by applying power and left aileron, but the right wing continued to drop. The pilot was unable to prevent the right wing from striking the ground. This impact caused the aircraft to rotate clockwise through 180 degrees and roll to the left. During this final manoeuvre, the left wing struck the ground, and two of the three propeller blades broke off. The aircraft came to rest upright, facing east in a field of short cereal crop adjacent to the runway. There was no fire, and the pilot vacated the aircraft unaided.
Pilot's Account
In a comprehensive statement to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), the pilot attributed the accident to his lack of currency on this type of aircraft. The pilot was 60 years old, held a Private Pilot's Licence, and had 300 hours total flying experience, with only 13 hours on type. In the last 90 days, he had flown 3 hours, and none in the last 28 days.
Aircraft Characteristics
The Europa XS features unconventional landing gear, comprising a single large main wheel, a tail wheel, and wing outriggers. This configuration is known to produce unusual handling characteristics on touchdown. Additionally, according to the AAIB report, at low speed following the bounce, the attempt to roll level using aileron probably stalled the right wing, preventing recovery.