What happened
On 26 March 2012, at approximately 17:30 UTC, a Skyranger 912(2), registration G-CCTR, was completing a local private flight near Bewdley, Worcestershire. The flight had lasted roughly ninety minutes under favorable weather conditions. As the pilot approached Runway 34 at Pound Green Airstrip, the aircraft made a standard approach for landing.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft experienced a heavy impact. This force caused the landing gear to collapse, leading to subsequent damage to the propeller, the engine cowling, and the wheel spats. The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, escaped the incident without injury.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the touchdown and the physical damage to the aircraft. The pilot provided a transparent account of the event, noting that the landing was not smooth.
Findings
- The primary cause of the landing gear failure was that the pilot misjudged the round out phase of the landing.
- The resulting heavy touchdown exerted enough force to trigger the collapse of the gear assembly.