Incident Overview
On 11 March 2000 at 1420 hours UTC, a Grumman AA-5 aircraft, registered G-BLFW, was involved in an incident at Compton Abbas Airfield in Wiltshire. The aircraft was being operated on a private flight from a private strip near Swindon. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, held a Private Pilot's Licence and was 48 years old. He had accumulated 213 hours of flying experience, of which 108 hours were on the Grumman AA-5 type. In the 90 days prior to the incident, he had flown 2 hours, and in the last 28 days, no hours.
Meteorological and Aerodrome Conditions
The reported meteorological conditions at Compton Abbas Airfield were CAVOK (ceiling and visibility okay) with a surface wind from 360 degrees at 12 knots and a temperature of +10°C. The active runway was Runway 26, which had a landing distance available of 803 metres. The grass surface was described as wet but firm.
Sequence of Events
The pilot established the aircraft on the approach at an indicated airspeed of 80 to 85 knots, and he considered the approach to be normal. Upon touchdown, the aircraft bounced. In response, the pilot closed the throttle and lowered the nose. This action caused the airspeed to decay, and the aircraft struck the ground heavily, bouncing a second time. The pilot then applied power in an attempt to recover, but he could not prevent the aircraft from striking the ground a third time. During this third impact, the nosewheel collapsed.
Aftermath and Damage
After the aircraft came to a halt, the pilot switched off the fuel and electrical systems and vacated the aircraft. The airfield emergency services arrived promptly at the scene. The nature of damage included the collapse of the nosewheel, damage to the propeller, and shock loading to the engine.
Injuries
The pilot reported no injuries. There were no passengers on board.