What happened
On 14 March 1999, a modified Reims Cessna FRA150L, registration G-BABD, was conducting a private flight at Cromer (Northrepps) Airfield in Norfolk. While flying the base leg for Runway 36, the pilot attempted to select the flap 40 setting. During the approach, the pilot observed that the aircraft's airspeed was higher than expected, though the reason for this increase remained unclear.
Upon touchdown on the damp grass runway, the aircraft bounced twice. This sequence resulted in the collapse of the nose landing gear, causing significant damage to the engine, propeller, and the surrounding airframe. The aircraft was subsequently destroyed. There were no injuries to the pilot or the single passenger on board.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the configuration of the aircraft's flaps at the time of the accident. Although the pilot had intended to extend the flaps to the 40-degree position, the flaps were found to be fully retracted upon inspection. The aircraft utilized an electrically operated flap system where the position is indicated by a mechanical pointer.
To operate the flaps, the pilot must depress and hold a switch in the down position until the target setting is reached, then return the switch to the centre 'power off' position. The investigation examined the possibility of pilot error during this manual process. The pilot noted that while selecting the flap 40 setting, it was possible to accidentally move the switch through the neutral position and into the 'up' position, which would cause the flaps to retract automatically due to the switch's over-centre design.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced an abnormally high approach speed.
- The flaps were retracted during the landing phase despite the pilot's intention to extend them.
- The landing involved two bounces on a damp grass surface, which triggered the nose gear failure.