What happened
On 10 October 2012, a Rans S6-116 Coyote II, registration G-BUWK, was performing a private flight at Maypole Airfield near Canterbury, Kent. The pilot was conducting a landing on a grass airstrip measuring 650 metres in length. During the final approach, flown at 65 kt with one stage of flap, the right wing lifted, causing the pilot to lose sight of the runway. Consequently, the pilot initiated a go-around procedure.
As the pilot lowered the nose and applied full power, the aircraft encountered an electric fence located in the adjacent pasture to the northwest of the strip. The fence, which consisted of strong, stranded polypropylene rope, became entangled with the aircraft. This contact caused the aircraft to yaw to the left and rock violently before it crashed into the pasture in a nose-low attitude. The aircraft came to rest upright, and the pilot was uninjured.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events during the go-around and the physical obstacles present near the airfield. Investigators examined the nature of the electric fencing, noting it was constructed of high-strength polypropylene rope. The investigation also considered the pilot's handling of the aircraft, as the pilot noted that the flight characteristics of G-BUWK differed from her own aircraft, requiring lighter control inputs.
Findings
- The aircraft struck an electric fence during the transition to a go-around.
- The fence was composed of stranded polypropylene rope of significant strength.
- The pilot's loss of visual contact with the airstrip during the flare prompted the decision to abort the landing.
- The aircraft sustained damage to the fuselage, engine mount, propeller, and landing gear, as well as damage to the electric fencing.