What happened
On 3 October 2010, a Flight Design CTSW, registration G-CENE, was conducting a private flight from Wycombe Air Park toward Barton. During the flight, the pilot encountered low cloud layers and checked the Manchester Airport TAF, which indicated a high probability of reduced visibility. Due to these weather conditions, the pilot opted for a precautionary landing at Arclid airstable in Cheshire.
The aircraft approached the 400 m grass runway in heavy rain, with a broken cloud layer at approximately 900 ft agl. During the landing sequence, the aircraft bounced. While the pilot was applying braking after touchdown, the aircraft veered off the end of the runway by approximately 15 m. This excursion resulted in the collapse of the nose landing gear, causing the aircraft to overturn.
There were no fatalities and one minor injury reported among the two occupants. The aircraft sustained damage to the engine cowling, propeller, nose landing gear, right wing, rudder hinge, windscreen, and passenger window.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the flight conditions, including the heavy rain and the pilot's decision-making regarding the precautionary landing at Arclid. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's experience and the sequence of events leading from the initial bounce to the eventual nose gear failure and overturn.