What happened
On 12 November 2009, an Ikarus C42 FB, registration G-DUGE, was conducting a private flight departing from the grass runway at Plaistows Farm Airfield in St Albans, Hertfordshire. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft experienced a heavy landing on the ground. During the subsequent maneuver, the pilot initiated a left-hand turn at approximately 700 feet altitude.
During this turn, the pilot observed that the starboard door was opening, which significantly degraded the aircraft's handling characteristics. Simultaneously, the nose landing gear collapsed, causing the propeller to make contact with the ground. Due to the combination of the gear failure and the door issue, the pilot elected to perform a forced landing in a nearby field. The pilot exited the aircraft via the left-side door and sustained no injuries.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The inquiry focused on the sequence of events following the initial heavy landing and the mechanical failure of the nose gear. The investigation established that the aircraft sustained damage to the propeller and the nose landing gear as a result of the impact with the ground.