What happened
On 11 April 2003, a Jodel DR1050-M Excellence, registration G-ATLB, was conducting a private flight from Nayland to a farm strip at Peplow, Shropshire. Before the flight, the pilot had reviewed weather information and NOTAMs, and had been informed that Runway 06 at the destination was the only serviceable runway, featuring a dry grass surface.
Upon arriving at Peplow, the pilot established an approach to Runway 06. While the pilot had reduced the approach speed slightly from the standard 80 mph to 76 mph, the flare during the landing phase was excessive. This resulted in the aircraft touching down much further down the runway than intended. Despite applying maximum braking, the aircraft could not be stopped within the 600-metre runway. The aircraft continued onto an adjacent, newly ploughed field, where it subsequently inverted. Both the pilot and the passenger sustained minor injuries during the event. The aircraft suffered damage to its propeller, canopy, landing gear, and wing.
The investigation
The investigation examined the pilot's approach and the environmental conditions at the time of the accident. It was noted that the pilot had not observed the windsock prior to landing. Following the inversion, the pilot observed that the windsock indicated a tailwind of approximately 5 to 10 knots on Runway 06. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's pre-flight preparations and the information provided by the destination airfield regarding runway serviceability.