What happened
On 7 July 2002, a Pitts S-1S, registration G-REAP, was performing a private landing on the grass runway at Netherthorpe Airfield, Nottinghamshire. The aircraft was approaching runway 24, which has a declared landing distance of 370 metres, under wind conditions of 10 knots from 180 degrees, providing very little headwind.
To reach the runway threshold, the pilot employed a shallow sideslipping technique, using power to manage the descent rate and airspeed. During this specific approach, the aircraft became high. In an attempt to touch down near the start of the runway, the pilot increased the amount of sideslip, which led to a higher than normal rate of descent. The pilot also noted that the sideslip was not removed in time and the throttle was reduced earlier than usual. This resulted in a heavy three-point touchdown. The impact was severe enough that the main landing gear flexed, causing the propeller to strike the ground. The aircraft's g-meter recorded a vertical acceleration of 5g.
The investigation
The investigation examined the pilot's approach technique and the physical damage to the aircraft. It was established that the landing gear experienced enough displacement to snap the safety retaining wires. The pilot's report indicated that the engine had been shock loaded during the event. The investigation also considered the pilot's recent flying experience, noting that while the pilot had completed several landings in the week prior, the total flight time in the current year was low.