What happened
On 22 May 2012, a Rans S6-ES Coyote, registration G-CCTX, was performing a private flight landing at Brimpton Airfield in Berkshire. During the initial approach to grass Runway 07, the pilot encountered a left-hand crosswind of approximately 10 knots. The first landing attempt was characterized by a heavy touchdown and two subsequent bounces, prompting the pilot to initiate a go-around.
On the second approach, the aircraft touched down normally. However, upon lowering the nose, the nose landing gear failed and dug into the turf. This caused the aircraft to flip over onto its back. The pilot, who was uninjured, was able to exit the aircraft without assistance and alert others.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The examination established that while the second landing was well-executed, the aircraft sustained significant damage to the propeller, engine mount, radiator, cowling, windscreen, rudder, and nosewheel. The pilot noted that the initial heavy landing was likely the factor that compromised the integrity of the nose landing gear, leading to its collapse during the subsequent successful touchdown.