Accident Overview
On 15 September 2009 at approximately 1105 UTC, a Grob G115E Tutor (registration G-BYXD) sustained significant damage while landing at Boscombe Down, Wiltshire. The aircraft was on a training flight operated by a University Air Squadron. The on-board load meter recorded a peak normal load factor of 6.5g during the landing. Damage included the main and nose landing gear, a cracked engine mounting frame, and damage to the firewall in the area of the nose leg attachment.
Flight History
The flight was planned to include a practice forced landing (PFL). The forecast wind was 20 knots from 010°, gusting to 26 knots. The student pilot was briefed to execute the PFL on Runway 35. The traffic pattern was flown normally, and the aircraft was lined up with the runway at about 500 feet with landing flap selected. The commander (an RAF flight instructor) encouraged the student to lower the nose to maintain 75 knots. A final airspeed check below 100 feet showed slightly over 75 knots. At the appropriate point, the student flared the aircraft to the correct attitude. However, the rate of descent increased suddenly, leading to a heavy impact on the runway surface. The commander took control and landed the aircraft from the ensuing bounce. After touchdown, the commander taxied toward the runway end, but wheel brakes and nosewheel steering were unavailable, likely having failed during the hard touchdown. The aircraft was brought to a halt on grass beyond the runway. The actual wind was reported 5 knots higher than forecast. The commander subsequently commented that given the conditions, he believed wind shear was a probable cause. No injuries to the two crew members were reported.