What happened
On 28 April 2006, a Europa XS tri-gear, registration G-FELL, was conducting a private flight from North Weald, Essex, to a farm strip located at Upfield Farm, near Newport, Gwent. Prior to departure, the pilot had consulted the weather forecast for Cardiff Airport, as specific weather information for the destination farm strip was unavailable.
Upon arrival at the farm strip, the aircraft was operating on Runway 05. The surface wind was reported as 10 knots from 010º, though the pilot noted the conditions were gusty. During the approach and flare, the aircraft encountered these gusty winds, causing the left mainwheel to touch down to the left of the concrete runway surface, approximately 15 cm below the level of the strip. The propeller struck the edge of the concrete, and the pilot subsequently applied full power in an attempt to execute a go-around. However, the aircraft landed heavily on the rough ground to the left of the runway, resulting in the detachment of the nose landing gear leg. The aircraft sustained damage to the propeller and scratches to the port wingtip.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the flight conditions and the physical state of the runway. The runway at Upfield Farm consisted of a recently constructed concrete strip, 640 m in length and 10 m in width, which featured a drop of several centimetres from the concrete to the adjacent grass.
Findings
- The aircraft touched down to the left of the runway surface during a period of gusty winds.
- The left mainwheel made contact with the ground at a level 15 cm below the concrete strip.
- The nose landing gear leg detached due to the heavy landing on the rough terrain adjacent to the runway.