What happened
On 26 October 1999, a Fournier RF3, registration G-BNHT, was engaged in a private local flight departing from Little Gransden Airfield, Bedfordshire. The pilot, who had not flown the aircraft for several months due to ongoing maintenance, intended to complete a short flight to the west of the airfield to maintain flying currency.
During the flight, the pilot encountered weather conditions that were more severe than initially expected, characterized by turbulence and scattered cloud layers. While attempting to return to the airfield circuit, the pilot became distracted by the turbulent air. Consequently, the undercarriage was not selected to the down position. The aircraft subsequently performed a wheels-up landing, which resulted in damage to the propeller and the undercarriage doors. There were no injuries to the pilot, who exited the aircraft via the canopy.
The investigation
The investigation examined the circumstances surrounding the pilot's decision to fly and the sequence of events during the circuit. It was established that the pilot felt pressured to fly to regain currency following a period of maintenance. The investigation also reviewed the meteorological conditions at the time, noting the presence of turbulence and varying cloud layers which contributed to the pilot's loss of focus during the downwind leg of the landing pattern.