What happened
On 19 August 2012, a Flight Design CT2K, registration G-CDJF, was conducting a training flight at Redhill Aerodrome in Surrey. The weather conditions were favorable, featuring fine weather and a dry grass runway surface with a light wind of 7 knots from 230°.
During the approach to Runway 26L, the student pilot experienced a bounce upon landing. During the subsequent second touchdown, the nose landing gear failed. This structural failure caused the aircraft to pitch forward and eventually invert. The pilot, who was uninjured, was able to exit the aircraft without assistance. The Aerodrome Controller observed the incident and activated the crash alarm, with emergency services arriving at the scene approximately one minute and forty seconds after the alarm was triggered.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot and Redhill Air Traffic Control. The examination focused on the sequence of the landing attempt and the subsequent mechanical failure of the nose gear. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, nose wheel, wingtip, rudder, and door.