Accident Details
On 2 March 2013 at 1500 UTC, a Flight Design CT2K microlight aircraft, registration G-CBEX, sustained damage during a landing at a private airstrip near Heckington, Lincolnshire. The aircraft was manufactured in 2001 and powered by a single Rotax 912 ULS piston engine. The flight was private with only the pilot on board; no passengers were carried. The pilot reported no injuries.
Sequence of Events
The aircraft had flown from its base near Newark-on-Trent to the airstrip, approximately 17 nm away. On arrival, a person on the ground informed the pilot by radio that the landing direction at the east-west orientated grass strip was to the west. The weather was fine with a light surface wind from the north or north-west.
The pilot flew a right-hand finals turn to a normal landing on the strip, which he described as wet. After a short ground run, the aircraft encountered a bump and became airborne again for a time. When it landed again, the pilot applied the brakes, which induced a skid, and the aircraft veered to the left. The pilot then attempted a controlled run off onto an adjacent track. However, the left main wheel caught in a dyke and the left wing struck a tree. The aircraft yawed through 360° and came to rest.
Pilot Information
The pilot, aged 51, held a National Private Pilot’s Licence. His total flying experience was 556 hours, of which 278 hours were on type. In the last 90 days he had flown 8 hours, and in the last 28 days, 2 hours. The pilot observed that the best course of action would have been to go-around after the initial bounce. He had not landed at the airstrip before and was unaware that the last 100 meters of the strip sloped downwards.
Damage
The aircraft sustained damage to the left wing, landing gear, fuselage, and propeller.