What happened
On 30 June 2013, a Porterfield CP50 Collegiate, registration G-AFZL, was involved in an accident at White Waltham Airfield, Berkshire. The aircraft was being operated for a private solo flight. After refueling, the pilot taxied the tailwheel aircraft toward Runway 25. Following local procedures, the pilot turned the aircraft left across the wind to face downwind for a final wind check.
While maneuvering with moderate power and using differential braking to turn, a gust of wind caught the aircraft, lifting the tail. The aircraft subsequently pitched nose-down and inverted. The engine ceased running after the propeller struck the ground, and the aircraft came to rest in a wings-level position. The pilot escaped the aircraft without injury.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft's configuration and the environmental conditions at the time of the event. The aircraft was in a forward center of gravity configuration due to a full fuel tank. The pilot, an experienced flyer with over 1,300 hours, noted that while the windsock showed no significant change in wind speed or direction, the gusty conditions may have been more intense than previously observed during refueling. The pilot also considered whether the instinctive application of forward elevator during the turn contributed to the nose-down pitch.
Findings
- The accident was initiated by a gust of wind acting on the aircraft while it was positioned downwind.
- The aircraft's forward center of gravity, caused by a full fuel tank, may have contributed to the severity of the pitch.
- The aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, engine cowlings, cockpit transparencies, wings, fuselage, and tail fin.