What happened
On 23 October 2009, a Morane Saulnier MS.880B Rallye Club, registration G-AWOA, was performing a private flight when it encountered an unexpected obstacle during the landing phase. While completing the later stages of an approach to Holmbeck Farm Airfield in Leighton Buzzard, the aircraft's fixed landing gear struck a wire mesh boundary fence. This fence was constructed with wooden posts approximately 1 metre in height and was situated roughly 20 metres from the runway.
The impact with the fence caused the aircraft to decelerate abruptly. During this sudden deceleration, the pilot was thrown forward within the cockpit. The collision resulted in the propeller becoming entangled with the fence wiring, and the aircraft came to an unexpected halt. There were no injuries to the pilot or the single passenger on board.
The investigation
The investigation, prompted by the pilot's accident report, examined the aircraft's flight path and the physical damage sustained. The aircraft suffered a wire-entangled propeller, dents to the underside of the fuselage, and fractured wheel spats. There was also evidence suggesting the engine may have undergone a shock-load event.
Investigators determined that the pilot had identified the approach as being too shallow. During the approach, the pilot had performed a correction for a wing drop, which contributed to the aircraft's trajectory intersecting with the fence line.