What happened
On 28 January 2006, a Jodel D112, registration G-BMIP, was involved in an accident at Inglesham, Gloucestershire, during a private flight. The pilot had completed a short flight from Oaksey Park Airfield back to Inglesham. Prior to the flight, the pilot had listened to the Fairford ATIS weather report via telephone, which indicated winds of 060° at 9-11 kt, but did not personally obtain a formal weather forecast. Upon arrival at Oaksey Park, the pilot noted increasing wind strength and decided to return immediately to Inglesham.
During the landing at Inglesham Runway 06, the aircraft was taxiing roughly across the wind in gusty conditions. In an attempt to prevent the aircraft from pitching further, the pilot applied power and up elevator. However, the tail continued to lift, causing the aircraft to pitch onto its nose. This impact destroyed the propeller and resulted in the engine being shock loaded. A subsequent gust of wind blew the aircraft onto its back, causing damage to the canopy and the canopy supporting hoop. The pilot successfully shut off the fuel and engine switches and vacated the aircraft without injury.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot and follow-up telephone enquiries. Investigators examined the weather conditions and the pilot's actions during the taxiing phase. The investigation established that while the pilot had noted the wind strength via the ATIS report, the potential for high gusts was not fully realized. The pilot acknowledged that the vulnerability of the Jodel type to strong winds had been underestimated.