History of the Flight
On arrival at Mount Airey (South Cave) Airfield, the pilot overflew the runway to ascertain which runway was in use. The windsock at the downhill end of Runway 07/25 was missing, having been detached by the strong wind during the day. The pilot reported that he did not see another windsock at the uphill end of the runway. He decided to land uphill on Runway 07.
After three attempts that were too high, the pilot managed to touch down close to the threshold of the 732 m long grass runway. The local wind was reported as 300°/30 kt. The landing was made in an uphill direction on the grass surface with a strong tailwind.
Incident Description
After touching down, the pilot reported losing rudder control, possibly due to a gust associated with the tailwind. The aircraft departed to the left of the runway. As it entered the adjacent cultivated field, the nose landing gear collapsed, allowing the rotating propeller to strike the ground. The engine was shock-loaded.
Pilot's Comments
The pilot later commented that he had remained on the Humberside radio frequency, rather than changing to the airfield frequency. Had he done so, he said he would have been advised by pilots on the ground to land in the opposite direction.
Damage and Injuries
The aircraft sustained nose landing gear collapse, a propeller strike, and engine shock-load. The pilot, the sole occupant, sustained minor injuries. No passengers were on board.