Incident Overview
On 28 August 1999 at 1920 UTC, a Grob G115 aircraft, registration G-BOPU, was involved in an accident during landing at Manchester (Barton) Airfield. The aircraft, equipped with a single Lycoming O-235-H2C piston engine and manufactured in 1988, was on a private flight with only the pilot on board. The pilot, aged 71 and holding a Private Pilot's Licence with 130 hours of flying experience (all on type), was uninjured. The aircraft sustained a broken propeller, engine shock loading, and minor structural damage.
Flight Details
The pilot was returning from a local flight. The runway in use was Runway 27S, which has a landing distance of 626 metres and a width of 33 metres. The grass surface was dry and firm. Meteorological conditions were CAVOK with a light wind from the northwest; the surface temperature was +15°C.
Sequence of Events
During the final approach, the pilot was significantly distracted by strong sunlight entering the windscreen, as he was not wearing sunglasses. At approximately 300 feet, he realised he was to the left of the runway centreline and adjusted his flight path. However, he overcorrected and eventually touched down on the right edge of the runway. The pilot reported that the initial touchdown was normal, but the aircraft then ran over one of the concrete slabs used to mark the runway edge. The slab was standing proud of the runway surface, and the pilot believes this caused the aircraft to bounce back into the air. After a second bounce, the nosewheel collapsed and the propeller shattered. Other witnesses described the aircraft bouncing immediately after the initial touchdown and then striking the ground with the nosewheel first, which then collapsed.
Aftermath
The aircraft came to a halt on the runway. The airfield fire and rescue crew arrived promptly and assisted the pilot in vacating the aircraft. The pilot, who had been wearing a four-point harness, was uninjured. The information for this report was derived from an Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot.