Incident Overview
On 27 May 2004 at 1530 UTC, a Glaser-Dirks DG-400 motor glider, registration G-BPIN, was involved in an incident 3 miles northwest of Lasham, Hampshire. The aircraft, manufactured in 1988 and powered by one Rotax 505 piston engine, was on a private flight with only the pilot on board. The pilot, aged 67, held a Private Pilot's Licence and had 3,545 total flying hours, including 758 hours on type. No injuries were sustained.
History of the Flight
After completing pre-flight checks, the pilot started the engine without difficulty and departed from Lasham Airfield under power. Upon reaching 2,000 feet above ground level, the pilot shut down the engine and retracted it into its stowed position in the fuselage. The aircraft then continued as a glider for a cross-country flight to Swindon. Towards the end of the glide back to Lasham, the aircraft descended below a safe glidepath for the airfield. The pilot attempted to find lift but was unsuccessful, deciding to start the engine and return to Lasham. After extending the engine from its stowed position, the pilot pressed the engine start button, but the propeller did not rotate and the engine did not start. Due to the low height, the pilot concentrated on landing in a pre-selected field and did not have time to investigate the failure.
Landing and Damage
The aircraft landed heavily in the field, causing the main landing gear to partially collapse and the wings to flex downwards. The starboard wing entered vegetation, slewing the aircraft to the right and resulting in minor damage to the main landing gear and starboard wing.
Analysis
The pilot later assessed that the most probable reasons for the engine's failure to start were either that it had not fully extended or that he had accidentally moved the engine extend/retract switch towards the retract position after extension. In either case, the interlock microswitch would not have been made, preventing the starter motor from energising. With the engine extended but not running, the aircraft's performance and handling characteristics were degraded, which the pilot thought contributed to the heavy landing.