What happened
On 24 August 2012, a Rans S6-ESD XL Coyote II, registration G-MZCA, was conducting a private flight near a grass airstrip located 13 nm south-south-east of Norwich. The flight's objective was to collect flight data to support a modification application, involving stall performance testing and airspeed indicator calibration. The flight was operated by a pilot with 164 total hours, accompanied by a passenger who was a qualified pilot with approximately 1,300 hours.
During the landing phase, the aircraft became low and slow on final approach. The passenger, who was flying the aircraft under the pilot's supervision, initially approached at a higher speed than the recommended 50 to 60 mph, causing the aircraft to lose altitude. At approximately 50 ft, the passenger initiated a go-around. However, the application of power caused the aircraft's nose to pitch up, and the speed dropped to 42 mph. This resulted in an apparent stall and a right-hand roll. While the aircraft recovered quickly, the maneuver directed the aircraft toward a small tree situated to the right of the runway threshold. The right wing root struck the tree approximately 10 ft above the ground, causing damage to the propeller, engine cowling, nose undercarriage leg, wing struts, and leading edges. There were no injuries to the two occupants.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight dynamics and the crew's decision-making. It was established that the aircraft had a known tendency to pitch up when power was applied and a tendency to drop a wing during a stall. The investigation also looked into the cockpit environment, noting that the pilot had deferred to the passenger's greater experience, which led to a lack of intervention during the critical moments of the approach and go-around.
Findings
- The aircraft was flying at a speed of 42 mph during the go-around, which was close to the noted stall speed of 38 mph.
- The decision to initiate the go-around was late, and the maneuver was performed at the very beginning of the runway.
- The pilot's lack of intervention was attributed to a reliance on the passenger's superior flight experience, which created an environment where the pilot did not feel compelled to take control before the situation became unrecoverable.
- The aircraft's specific handling characteristics, including the pitch-up tendency on power application and the need for careful energy management, contributed to the loss of control.