What happened
On 6 February 2010, a Flight Design CTSW, registration G-CGHE, was completing a private local flight in light wind conditions. Upon approaching the Wyken Road Private Strip in Suffolk, the aircraft experienced a bounce on its main wheels during the initial touchdown. In an attempt to mitigate the impact of this second bounce, the pilot pitched the nose up. This maneuver resulted in a stall, leading to a second, much heavier impact with the ground.
The force of the second impact caused the nose landing gear to collapse. Following the collapse, the aircraft rolled onto its left and right wings before coming to a halt. The pilot, who was wearing a full harness, escaped the incident without injury.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The examination of the aircraft revealed significant damage, specifically cracks to the fuselage and the wing roots, alongside the collapsed nosewheel. The pilot provided a statement admitting that the sequence of events was exacerbated by his decision to pitch the nose up rather than initiating a go-around after the first bounce. He noted that, in hindsight, applying full power to perform a go-around would have been the safer course of action.