What happened
On 26 August 1999, a Reims Cessna FRA150M, registration G-BDEX, was performing a series of touch-and-go landings on the grass runway 26 at Compton Abbas Airfield, Wiltshire. The weather conditions at the time involved a southwest wind of 15 to 20 knots, which created turbulence and a crosswind component of 5 to 8 knots.
While the aircraft appeared to land normally during its third attempt, a failure occurred during the subsequent application of power for the takeoff phase. The nosewheel made contact with the ground and subsequently collapsed. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was able to exit the aircraft via the left-side door without sustaining any injuries.
The investigation
The investigation examined the damage sustained by the aircraft, which included a destroyed propeller and nose oleo, a shock-loaded engine, and distorted firewalls. The pilot provided information regarding the aircraft's configuration during the incident, noting a lack of familiarity with the flap operating system on this specific model. It was noted that the pilot may have applied engine power before the flaps had been fully retracted for the takeoff attempt.