What happened
On 23 August 2001, a Rans S6-ES, registration G-BYCO, was conducting a General Flight Test near Limavady, Northern Ireland. The flight was part of a retraining programme for the owner, who had not flown for two years following the aircraft's construction. The aircraft was configured for a practice forced landing.
During the approach, the pilot determined that a successful landing was unlikely and handed control to the instructor. The instructor's account indicates that at approximately 230 feet above ground level, the aircraft was on a souberly heading. To demonstrate the difficulty of the landing, the instructor applied cruise power and turned toward an easterly heading. As the aircraft turned south with a bank angle of roughly 35 degrees, the nose dropped. Despite the instructor applying back pressure and increasing power, the nose continued to descend and the bank angle increased. The aircraft struck the ground at an angle of approximately 30 degrees from the vertical, with the right wing low, at an estimated speed of 75 to 80 mph.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight profiles provided by both occupants and the aircraft's mechanical state. It was noted that the aircraft was powered by a single Rotax 582-48 engine. The investigation established that both occupants were wearing lap and diagonal upper torso restraints. Although the cockpit area suffered severe disruption, the two crew members sustained serious injuries but were able to exit the wreckage on their own.
Findings
- The aircraft was undergoing a training flight to complete a comprehensive retraining programme.
- During a turn, the aircraft experienced a nose drop that led to a rapid descent.
- The aircraft was flying at a speed of approximately 58 to 60 mph, which was well above the power-off stall speed of 35 mph.