What happened
On 5 September 2007, a Pegasus Photon, registration G-MTAL, was involved in an accident during a private flight at Davidstow Moor Airfield in Cornwall. The pilot was conducting his first flight in this specific aircraft type. After an initial approach was aborted via a go-around, the pilot attempted a second approach. While the weather conditions had improved compared to the initial attempt, the aircraft encountered a sudden gust of wind immediately after touchdown.
This wind gust caused the aircraft to roll to the left. The pilot was unable to maintain control of the roll, resulting in the aircraft rotating around its front and left wheels. The aircraft eventually came to rest on the leading edge of the left wing. The impact caused damage to the fuselage pod, the king post, and the wing keel. The pilot sustained one minor injury to his hand, which necessitated hospital treatment.
The investigation
Investigators examined the flight history and the pilot's experience. It was noted that while the pilot held a Private Pilot’s Licence, he had very limited experience with this specific model, with only 0.15 hours previously flown on the type. Furthermore, his recent flying activity was minimal, with only two hours logged in the preceding 90 days, and no hours flown in the 28 days prior to the accident. The pilot's primary flying background was in weight-shift microlights rather than fixed-wing microlights.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the pilot's lack of familiarity with the aircraft and the prevailing wind conditions.
- A contributing factor was the pilot's lack of flying recency.
- The aircraft encountered a wind gust during the landing roll that exceeded the pilot's ability to maintain directional control.