History of the Flight
Following a local flight, the pilot positioned the aircraft to land on Runway 04 at Lower Upham Airfield. The runway, which is 570 m long, uphill, and grass-surfaced, was wet. The wind was reported as calm. On approach, the pilot reported being slightly higher than normal and increased the rate of descent by sideslipping. Witnesses observed the aircraft high and fast on approach, touching down heavily approximately halfway along the runway. The aircraft bounced twice before landing on a heading approximately 20° to the left of the runway direction. After a short ground roll, engine power increased and the aircraft became airborne, just clearing a hedge along the left edge of the runway. It then struck the ground in a nose-down attitude in a field beyond the hedge.
Injuries and Damage
The pilot suffered a minor back injury; the passenger was uninjured. The aircraft sustained damage to the left wing, fuselage, landing gear, and substantial damage to the engine and propeller.
Pilot Information
The 45-year-old commander held a National Private Pilot’s Licence and had accumulated 94 hours of flying experience, all on the Ikarus C42 FB80 type. In the 90 days preceding the accident, he had flown 11 hours, with 2 hours in the last 28 days.
AAIB Comment
The reported facts indicate that the aircraft stalled during the go-around as the pilot attempted to gain sufficient height to clear the hedge along the edge of the runway.