What happened
On 7 March 2014, a Societe Aeronautique Normande Jodel DR1050, registration G-ARXT, was performing a private flight when it was involved in an accident during landing at Cranfield Airfield, Bedfordshire. The aircraft was on final approach to Runway 21 under fine weather conditions. At the time of the incident, the wind was recorded at 260 degrees with a speed of 11 knots, though the pilot noted the conditions were gusty.
As the aircraft entered the landing roll, the pilot lost directional control, causing the aircraft to enter a ground loop. This maneuver resulted in distortion to the left main landing gear leg. Despite the occurrence, there were no injuries to the pilot or the single passenger on board, and the aircraft remained functional enough to be taxied to the parking area by the pilot.
The investigation
The investigation was informed by the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot and an ATS occurrence report from Cranette ATC. Investigators examined the environmental conditions and the pilot's control inputs during the landing phase. The investigation established that the wind conditions were gusty, which contributed to the difficulty in maintaining the aircraft's centerline.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained structural damage to the left main landing gear leg due to the ground loop.
- The pilot's rudder inputs during the landing roll were late and insufficient to counteract the effects of the gusty wind conditions.