What happened
On 17 April 2010, a Pegasus XL-Q, registration G-MWLM, was involved in an accident during a training flight at Hunsdon Airfield. The flight was being operated by a student pilot with 26 hours of total flying experience, who was practicing general handling. Accompanying the student in the rear seat was another pilot, who was not a qualified flying instructor but was intended to provide advice during the session.
After an initial solo flight, the student commenced a second flight at 1450 hrs. During the return to the airfield, the student performed a powered approach to Runway 26 at speeds between 55 and 60 mph. As the aircraft reached a height of approximately 10 feet while flaring, it suddenly dropped. The aircraft struck the runway heavily on its rear wheels, causing it to rotate onto its nosewheel with significant force. The impact was severe enough to break the structural base tube connecting the two seats, causing the engine and the rear seat occupant to lurch forward into the student pilot. The student sustained one serious injury involving multiple leg fractures and a dislocated ankle, while the other occupant remained uninjured.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation examined the flight conditions and the roles of the occupants. While the weather was reported as good with a light 5 kt westerly wind and a temperature of 10°C, the student pilot reported encountering a sudden change in wind direction or a pocket of turbulence that caused the drop. The investigation also looked into the supervision of the flight, noting that although the aircraft was equipped with training bars to allow operation from either seat, the student pilot was the sole person handling the controls during the flight.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained damage to the front strut, pylon, wing, control bar, and the nosewheel main strut.
- The student pilot encountered turbulence or a wind shift that caused the aircraft to lose lift during the flare.
- The accompanying pilot was not a qualified instructor and therefore could not provide the necessary intervention to prevent the loss of control.