What happened
On 29 April 2006, a Grob G109B motorglider, registration G-KNEK, was conducting a private flight at the Currock Hill Gliding Club in Northumbria. During a straight-in approach to Runway 06, the aircraft began to undershoot the landing area. As the pilot attempted the landing with the airbrakes deployed, the aircraft made heavy contact with rising ground within the Runway 06 approach path.
The impact caused the undercarriage to collapse and resulted in damage to the propeller and minor damage to the lower engine cowling. There were no injuries to the pilot or the single passenger on board.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight dynamics during the final approach. It was established that the pilot was operating the aircraft from the right-hand seat, a configuration that was unusual for him. Because of this seating position, the locations of the control column and the airbrake lever were reversed relative to his usual experience in the left-hand seat.
Findings
- The aircraft undershot the runway while on a glide approach with airbrakes extended.
- The pilot applied inappropriate control inputs due to unfamiliarity with operating the aircraft from the right-hand seat, which led to an increased rate of descent during the approach.