History of the Flight
On 22 April 2005 at approximately 1115 UTC, a Jabiru SK, registration G-BYNL, departed from Slinfold (Welcross Farm) Airstrip in West Sussex for a private test flight following engine maintenance. The pilot, the sole occupant, held a Private Pilot's Licence and had 163 hours total flying experience, with 26 hours on type. The weather was good with a surface wind of 120°/10 kt, visibility 9 km, and a cloud base at 2,500 feet.
The airstrip has a single grass runway oriented 22/04, 650 m long by 40 m wide, with a house near the threshold of Runway 22. A windsock is positioned on the north side of the runway near its midpoint. The pilot assessed the wind and chose to depart from Runway 22, accepting a small tailwind component to avoid overflying the house at the upwind end of Runway 04. The takeoff was normal, and the aircraft climbed to 1,500 feet, tracking west of Brighton before returning to Slinfold.
The pilot descended and joined the circuit for a final approach to Runway 22 with the first stage of flap selected and an approach speed of 60 kt. Grass cutting was in progress, so the pilot executed a go-around at about 300 feet height, taking up a left-hand circuit at 1,000 feet.
After the grass cutter cleared the runway and considering the crosswind component, the pilot decided to land on Runway 04. He made his approach at 60 kt with the first stage of flap lowered, but realizing he was high, he lowered full flap to correct his approach angle. He also realized his groundspeed was higher than normal but managed to touch down at about the runway midpoint. The pilot applied the handbrake, and the aircraft appeared to skid on the newly mown grass, moving towards the left side of the runway while still pointing along it. The left main landing gear wheel dropped into a shallow drainage ditch, and simultaneously the left wing and fuselage struck fence posts adjacent to the runway. The propeller struck the ground, and the engine stopped. The pilot was uninjured; after carrying out emergency shutdown drills, he vacated the aircraft through the right passenger door.
Damage
The accident caused damage to the left side of the fuselage, the left wing, and the propeller.
Causal Factors
The pilot considered that the accident occurred because he had not checked the windsock on his return to Slinfold, where the wind had veered by about 30° during his flight. The tailwind component during the second approach contributed to his landing further along the runway, and his attempt to stop before the end of the runway was the reason for his heavy braking. On reflection, he considered he should have carried out a second go-around and reassessed the wind.