What happened
On 18 April 2003, a MCR-01 ULC Banbi, registration G-BZXG, was involved in an accident during a private flight near Scone, Perth. The pilot was performing a touch-and-go maneuver on the paved Runway 09, with winds reported at 100 degrees at 5 knots.
During the sequence, the aircraft made contact with the runway on its left side. Upon the application of engine power, the aircraft experienced a sharp veer toward the left edge of the runway. Unable to maintain a straight track, the pilot reduced power to idle, resulting in the aircraft rolling onto the grass adjacent to the runway. As the aircraft traversed a small ridge in the turf, the nose landing gear leg buckled backwards. This caused the aircraft to pitch forward, leading to contact between the ground and the propeller spinner, as well as a small hole in the left wing tip. The pilot successfully shut down the engine and fuel supply before exiting the aircraft. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight path and the mechanical response of the aircraft's landing gear. It was noted that the manufacturer of the aircraft kit had recently updated the design of the nose leg diameter to match the four-seat version of the MCR-01. However, investigators determined that this specific design modification would not have necessarily prevented the collapse of the gear in this instance.