What happened
On 1 April 2006, a Grumman AA-5B, registration G-BXTT, was conducting a private flight at Tatenhill, Staffordshire. The weather conditions at the time were clear with good visibility, and the wind was recorded at 250 degrees at 15 knots. The aircraft was using runway 26, which features an asphalt surface.
The pilot, who had not flown for three months, intended to perform several circuits for practice. After completing a successful circuit and a 'touch and go' maneuver, the pilot initiated a second approach. Upon touchdown, the aircraft bounced, porpoised, and ballooned. In an attempt to recover, the pilot applied full power to execute a go-around. During this maneuver, the aircraft banked to the left and descended into a cultivated field located to the left of the runway.
There were no injuries to the pilot during the incident. The aircraft sustained damage to the nose landing gear, the engine was shock loaded, and the propeller was damaged.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft and the site of the accident. During a subsequent inspection, propeller strike marks were identified on the runway surface. The investigation focused on the sequence of the landing attempt and the subsequent aerodynamic behavior of the aircraft during the go-around attempt.