What happened
On 26 September 2004, a Grob G115, registration G-RAFA, was performing a private flight at Cranwell, Lincolnshire. During the execution of a touch-and-go maneuver, the aircraft encountered sudden wind gusts while on short finals. The pilot found the aircraft's controls to be unexpectedly sensitive due to the weather conditions.
As a result of the turbulence, the landing was executed poorly, with the nose wheel likely making contact with the runway first. Recognizing the instability, the pilot elected to abort the touch-and-go and instead performed a full stop landing.
The investigation
Following the landing, the pilot found the aircraft difficult to steer while taxiing back to the apron. A subsequent visual inspection of the aircraft after engine shutdown identified damage to the nose landing gear and the tip of one propeller blade. There were no injuries to the two occupants on board. The pilot's assessment indicated that the incident was caused by the mishandling of the aircraft during the gusty approach.