What happened
On 21 March 2005, an Extra EA 300/L, registration G-CCPI, was being flown from Biggin Hill, Kent, to Meppershall Airfield, Bedfordshire, for the purpose of maintenance. The flight was a private operation conducted under good weather conditions, with a surface wind of 110 degrees at 10 knots.
During the landing on the grass runway 02, the pilot utilized a slightly cross-controlled approach to maintain better visibility of the landing strip. Upon touchdown, the aircraft experienced a bounce. Following this, the left main landing gear made contact with soft ground located to the left of the mended strip. The aircraft subsequently veered left off the runway. As the aircraft moved through the area, both main landing gears sank into the mud at low speed. This caused the aircraft to nose over and come to rest in an inverted position. The impact resulted in extensive damage to the airframe, specifically affecting the propeller, fin, and canopy, along with minor damage to the wings.
Both the pilot and the passenger escaped without injury. Due to the inverted position of the aircraft, the occupants initially struggled to exit their harnesses while suspended, eventually egressing through the shattered canopy. Local airfield emergency services arrived promptly to provide assistance.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot and subsequent inquiries. The investigators examined the runway conditions, the aircraft's flight path, and the mechanical sequence of the nose-over.