What happened
On 1 July 2012, a Pegasus Quik, registration G-CEVG, was performing a private flight at Manchester Barton Aerodrome. The weather conditions were reported as good, though the wind was noted as gusty, coming from 250° at 11 kt. During the landing sequence on the grass runway 27L, the pilot executed a smooth final approach. However, as the aircraft flared for touchdown, a sudden gust of wind pushed the plane to the right.
This gust caused the left mainwheel to contact the ground prematurely. The aircraft subsequently bounced and struck the ground on its right side while in a nose-low attitude. The impact caused significant damage to the engine, propeller blades, pylon, wing, and landing gear components. During the event, the engine experienced an overspeed because the pilot was unable to adjust the throttle or reach the magneto switches. While oil leaked onto the hot exhaust and produced a visible amount of smoke, no fire occurred. The pilot sustained minor injuries, while the passenger was uninjured.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report form provided by the pilot. Investigators examined the sequence of the landing and the mechanical state of the aircraft following the impact. The investigation established that the pilot's attempt to recover the aircraft's attitude and climb away following the initial contact was unsuccessful due to the inability to manipulate the engine controls during the engine overspeed.