What happened
On 27 August 2005, a Europa XS, registration G-CGDH, was performing a private flight in Lincolnshire. While executing a standard approach to the grass runway 27 at North Moor, the aircraft experienced a hard touchdown in a field of short cereal located adjacent to the runway. This impact caused the aircraft to bounce and subsequently roll to the right.
In an attempt to stabilize the aircraft, the pilot applied power and left aileron. However, the right wing continued to descend, leading to a 180-degree clockwise rotation and a roll to the left. During this maneuver, the left wing struck the ground, causing two of the three propeller blades to break off. The aircraft eventually came to rest upright, facing east. The pilot, who was uninjured, was able to exit the aircraft without assistance.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft's landing gear configuration, which consists of a single large main wheel, a tail wheel, and wing outriggers. It was established that this specific gear arrangement is prone to unusual handling characteristics during touchdown. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's flying history, noting that while the pilot held a Private Pilot’s Licence, they had only 13 hours of experience on this specific aircraft type and had flown only three hours in the preceding 90 days.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained damage to the fuselage, the propeller, and the port wing, which required replacement.
- The engine was subjected to shock loading during the event.
- The attempt to recover the wing level using aileron at low speed likely resulted in a stall of the right wing, preventing the pilot from regaining control.
- The pilot's lack of recent currency on the Europa XS was a contributing factor to the accident.