What happened
On 9 July 2007, a Teameurostar UK aircraft, registration G-CDVU, was conducting a private flight near Broadmeadow Airfield. After completing a short local flight, the pilot entered the left-hand circuit pattern for Runway 28. During the downwind leg, the pilot configured the aircraft with two stages of flap and reduced speed.
As the aircraft transitioned from the base leg to the final approach, the pilot executed a turn onto finals that was tighter than usual. During this maneuver, the aircraft experienced a significant increase in its rate of descent. The pilot was unable to regain sufficient altitude or apply enough power to initiate a go-around. Consequently, the aircraft struck the tops of a corn crop approximately 25 metres before the runway threshold. The aircraft continued to decelerate through the standing corn and across uneven terrain before coming to a stop upright, roughly 3 metres from the threshold.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The examination focused on the flight parameters during the approach and the physical circumstances of the landing. It was noted that there were no injuries to the pilot or the single passenger on board, and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The pilot's experience at the time of the accident was 94 total flying hours, all of which were on this specific aircraft type.
Findings
- The aircraft entered a high rate of descent during the turn onto finals.
- The pilot's attempt to recover altitude was unsuccessful due to insufficient airspeed.
- The tight nature of the turn onto the final approach likely contributed to the loss of height and speed.