What happened
On 8 July 2005, a Pitts S-1E, registration G-LITZ, was performing a private flight at Buckland Newton Airstrip, a 700 m unlicensed grass airfield in Dorset. The pilot, who had previously assessed the strip as suitable for the aircraft, approached the landing on a heading of 247º with winds reported at 10 kt from 31ASS.
While the landing initially appeared routine, the pilot noted the aircraft began dragging toward the right as it entered longer grass at the edge of the runway. This movement triggered a ground loop, causing the aircraft to come to a halt upright approximately ten feet from the right edge of the runway, rotated 180º from the original landing direction. The impact caused the propeller to strike the ground. There were no injuries to the pilot, but the aircraft sustained damage to the engine, propeller, upper and lower wings, and the main and tail wheels.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft's configuration and the airfield conditions. The aircraft had been modified with 'spades' attached to the lower surface of the ailerons to assist with control inputs. These devices extend between six and ten inches below the wing surface depending on the aileron position.
During the inspection, the right aileron spade was found broken from the aileron, located roughly 50 m behind where the aircraft had stopped. The investigation also considered the impact of the airfield surface, noting that operating on grass can lead to irregular compressive loads on the undercarriage and the potential for wheels to encounter depressions or tussocks.