Aircraft and Pilot Information
The aircraft involved was a 1998 Europa XS tri-gear, registration G-FELL, powered by one Rotax 912-UL engine. The commander, aged 59, held a Private Pilot's Licence and had accumulated 742 flying hours, of which 145 were on type. In the 90 days preceding the accident, he had flown 17 hours, with 8 hours in the last 28 days.
Flight History
The pilot flew from North Weald, Essex, to a farm strip at Upfield, Gwent. Before departure, he obtained a weather forecast for Cardiff Airport, the nearest airport with such information; he was unable to obtain a report directly from the farm. Upon arrival, Runway 05 was in use. The surface wind was estimated from 010° at 10 kt, and the pilot reported gusty conditions. The runway was a recently constructed concrete surface, measuring 640 m long and 10 m wide. Along the edges of the concrete strip, there was a drop of a few centimetres to the surrounding grass.
Accident Details
The pilot made an approach to Runway 05. During the flare, gusty conditions were encountered. The left mainwheel touched down to the left of the runway surface, approximately 15 cm below the concrete. The propeller struck the edge of the concrete, though the pilot was not aware of this at the time. He applied full power to go around, but the aircraft landed heavily on rough ground to the left of the runway, and the nose landing gear leg detached.
Damage and Injuries
The nosewheel detached, the port wingtip sustained scratches, and the propeller was damaged. Both the pilot and his passenger were wearing full shoulder harnesses and were not injured in the accident.