What happened
On 19 September 2002, a Piper L18C Super Cub, registration G-BBYB, was conducting a private flight at Lashenden (Headcorn) Airfield in Kent. The pilot had been performing circuits on the grass runway 11 for approximately one hour under favorable conditions, characterized by good visibility, dry ground, and negligible wind.
During the final approach, the pilot was following a helicopter that had recently landed on the grass surface near the midpoint of the runway. As the pilot flared the aircraft for landing, the main wheels made contact with the surface. At this moment, the aircraft began to veer sharply to the left. The pilot attempted to counteract this movement by applying right rudder, but the correction was unsuccessful. As the aircraft drifted off the runway, it headed toward the position of the previously landed helicopter. In an attempt to stop the aircraft, the pilot applied heavy braking, which caused the aircraft to tip forward onto its nose. There were no injuries to the pilot, and the aircraft sustained a bent propeller.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the pilot's control inputs and the aircraft's configuration at the moment of touchdown. It was noted that the pilot's flight experience was primarily on aircraft equipped with tricycle-type landing gear, and at the time of the accident, he had only 10 hours of experience on this specific type, with only four hours acting as commander.
During discussions with investigators, the pilot indicated that the sudden swing was unexpected. He further noted that his application of right rudder was likely ineffective because the tailwheel was not in contact with the ground and the control column had not been moved fully aft at the time of the directional deviation.