What happened
On 25 May 2013, a Pitts S-2B, registration G-IIII, was performing a private refresher flight at Lashenden (Headcorn) Aerodrome in Kent. The pilot, who had not operated this specific aircraft type for approximately six months, was conducting handling practice. During the third circuit of the flight, the aircraft approached Runway 20 and touched down near an unmarked centerline on the grass runway.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft bounced approximately two to three feet into the air. During the subsequent landing phase, the aircraft drifted toward the left side of the runway. In this process, the aircraft struck a 45 cm high runway edge marker located on the left side of the runway. The impact first involved the left wheel fairing, followed by the left aileron spade, which detached from the aircraft. The force of the impact caused the control column to jerk from the pilot's hands, initiating a left wing down movement. The pilot managed to regain control and completed the landing and taxiing without further incident. There were no injuries to the crew.
The investigation
The investigation established that the pilot was using the right-hand runway edge markers as primary visual references. The pilot reported that a crosswind from the right, measured at 15 knots, contributed to the lateral drift. Additionally, a gap of approximately 40 meters between two markers meant the pilot's spatial awareness was temporarily degraded. The investigation also noted that the damage to the fuselage was likely caused by debris from the broken marker board.
Findings
- The aircraft drifted left due to a crosswind from the right.
- The pilot's spatial awareness was reduced because of a gap between runway edge markers.
- The impact with the marker caused the aedron spade to detach and momentarily disrupted the pilot's control of the aircraft.