What happened
On 28 August 1999, a Grob G115, registration G-BOPU, was completing a local private flight when it experienced a landing accident at Manchester (Barton) Airfield. During the final approach to Runway 27S, the pilot experienced significant distraction caused by intense sunlight entering the windscreen, as they were not wearing sunglasses.
While attempting to correct a lateral deviation from the runway centreline, the pilot over-corrected the flight path, resulting in a touchdown on the right edge of the runway. Upon landing, the aircraft encountered a concrete slab used for runway marking that was protruding above the grass surface. This impact caused the aircraft to bounce. Following a second bounce, the nosewheel collapsed, leading to the propeller shattering and causing minor structural damage to the airframe. The pilot escaped the aircraft without injury.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the runway conditions, noting the surface was dry and firm at the time of the event. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's flight path corrections and the physical state of the runway edge markers. Witnesses at the airfield corroborated the sequence of the aircraft bouncing and the subsequent nosewheel failure.