What happened
On 9 February 2010, a Robin HR200/120B, registration G-BYSG, was performing a private flight when it encountered difficulties during its approach to Runway 33 at Sibson Airfield, Cambridgeshire. As the aircraft approached the threshold, it encountered a period of sink rate. The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, did not increase engine power sufficiently to compensate for this loss of altitude.
Upon touchdown on the grass runway, the aircraft was operating in turbulent wind conditions, with winds recorded at 360° at 12 kt. During the landing roll, the nose gear leg collapsed. This caused the aircraft to strike an airfield boundary fence located approximately 40 metres from the runway threshold markings. The impact resulted in damage to the propeller and the nose gear assembly. The pilot escaped the incident without injury.
The investigation
Investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the landing and the meteorological conditions at the time of the accident. The investigation noted that a recent rain shower in the area may have contributed to the unstable wind conditions. The pilot's actions regarding throttle management during the encounter with sink rate were also reviewed, alongside the physical damage sustained by the aircraft's landing gear and propeller.