What happened
On 5 August 2011, a Piel CP301A Emeraude, registration G-BBKL, was conducting a private flight near East Fortune, Lothian, Scotland. The aircraft was performing a standard approach to Runway 24 at a private airstrip under favorable weather conditions, characterized by fine visibility and a surface wind of approximately 10 knots from 210 degrees.
During the final stages of the approach, the pilot noted that the airspeed decreased with unexpected rapidity. This resulted in the aircraft touching down with significant force. While the aircraft maintained a normal attitude during the landing, the impact was substantial enough to cause mechanical damage.
The investigation
Following the incident, an examination of the aircraft was conducted to assess the extent of the damage. The investigation focused on the structural integrity of the landing gear assembly. The inspection revealed that the undercarriage mounting blocks had sustained cracks. The nature of these cracks was determined to be consistent with the forces generated by a heavy landing.