What happened
On 18 August 2012, a Samba XLA, registration EI-JIM, was conducting a private flight from Duxford to Chatteris Airfield. The aircraft, which was visiting from Ireland, carried one pilot and one passenger. Weather conditions at the time of the incident were favorable, with a light wind of 4 knots reported.
Upon arrival, the pilot coordinated with a parachute jump aircraft via radio to ensure the airfield was clear of jumpers before proceeding to land on the grass runway. During the approach and touchdown phase, the aircraft's right wing made contact with vegetation located to the right of the runway. This impact caused the aircraft to yaw approximately 180 degrees, resulting in the aircraft departing the runway approximately 200 meters from the threshold. The incident resulted in no injuries to the occupants, though the aircraft sustained damage to its wings, tailplane, and landing gear.
The investigation
The investigation examined the runway conditions and the physical dimensions of the landing area. It was noted that while the aircraft has a wingspan of 10 meters, the runway strip at the time was only mowed to a width of approximately 6 meters. The pilot reported that the wing struck vegetation that was positioned over one meter high.