What happened
On 25 October 2011, a Grumman AA-5 Traveller, registration G-OBMW, was conducting a private flight at Sherburn-in-Elmet Airfield in West Yorkshire. The pilot was in the process of returning from a short local flight and intended to perform a touch-and-go maneuver on the grass runway 24. At the time of the incident, the wind conditions were reported as calm.
During the approach, the aircraft experienced a heavy initial touchdown. This impact caused the aircraft to bounce and balloon back into the air. As the pilot applied maximum power and attempted to maintain altitude to complete the touch-and-go, the aircraft pitched forward and made contact with the ground again. This second contact resulted in the collapse of the nose gear, causing the aircraft to skid to a halt. The propeller, nosewheel, cowling, and aerials sustained damage. There were no injuries to the pilot or the two passengers on board.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report form submitted by the pilot. The examination focused on the sequence of the landing attempt and the physical impact of the aircraft with the runway surface. The investigation established that the aircraft's flight path was interrupted by a heavy touchdown, which initiated the subsequent bounce and the eventual forward pitch that led to the gear failure.