What happened
On 9 May 1998, a Grumman AA-5B, registration G-ERRY, was performing a private flight at Shobdon Airfield in Herefordshire. During the approach to Runway 27, the aircraft was operating in favorable weather conditions with a surface wind originating from between 225° and 270° at 15 to 20 knots. The pilot had configured the aircraft with two stages of flaps.
While the final 200 feet of the approach was noted to be slightly turbulent, the initial touchdown appeared normal. However, the aircraft failed to settle on the runway and instead began to bounce. These bounces increased in severity, and during one of the oscillations, the pilot noted an unusual noise. Upon the conclusion of the flight and the subsequent engine shutdown, it was discovered that the propeller tips had been bent.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The inquiry examined the sequence of the landing and the mechanical state of the aircraft. It was established that there were no injuries to the pilot and the damage was limited to the propeller.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was an unexpected sink rate during the touchdown phase.
- The severity of the bouncing was exacerbated by the specific characteristics of the aircraft's landing gear.
- The pilot considered that an earlier decision to execute a go-around might have prevented the sequence of events.