What happened
On 12 May 2008, a Pegasus Quik, registration G-CDOM, was conducting a private flight at Pilling Sands, Lancashire. The pilot had successfully completed six landings on the beach prior to the incident. However, during the seventh landing attempt, the aircraft crashed. The impact resulted in serious injuries to the pilot, specifically involving two broken wrists and facial injuries. Due to the nature of the injuries, the pilot was unable to provide any recollection of the events immediately preceding the crash.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report form submitted by the pilot. There were no witnesses to the event, and no external information was available to supplement the pilot's report. Investigators looked into the environmental conditions at the time of the accident, noting that the wind was light and variable.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained severe damage to both the trike and the wing.
- The investigation considered that the lack of visual cues provided by the wide, exposed expanse of sand may have contributed to the pilot's loss of situational awareness or difficulty in judging the landing.
- The light and variable wind conditions were noted as a factor that could have influenced the landing sequence.