What happened
On 10 August 2013, a SLA 80 Executive, registration G-CCJJ, was conducting a private flight from Lydd to its home base at Stoke Airfield, Kent. As the pilot prepared for an approach to Runway 24, they confirmed an airspeed between 60 and 65 mph and noted a right-hand crosswind of approximately 7 to 10 knots, which was experiencing occasional gusts.
During the final stages of the landing, the aircraft experienced a sudden drop in altitude from roughly 15 to 20 feet. This descent caused the aircraft to land heavily on the left mainwheel. The impact resulted in an uncontrollable swing to the left, leading the aircraft to strike a grass embankment adjacent to the runway. The collision caused the nose landing gear to collapse.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The examination focused on the circumstances surrounding the sudden loss of lift and the subsequent structural failure of the landing gear. The pilot suggested that the sudden drop in altitude might have been the result of a rapid change in windspeed.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained damage to both the left main landing gear and the nose landing gear.
- There were no injuries to the pilot or the single passenger on board.
- The primary cause of the gear collapse was the impact with a grass embankment following an uneven landing.