What happened
On 12 October 2008, a Starduster Too, registration G-BTGS, was completing a short local flight when it returned to Shoreham Airport. During the approach to Runway 20, the aircraft made a brief initial contact with the runway surface before bouncing. Although the pilot did not consider the subsequent landing to have been particularly heavy, the left landing gear began to collapse upon touchdown.
Following the collapse, the aircraft veered toward the left side of the runway. The right landing gear also failed, and the aircraft came to a halt after rolling approximately 50 metres. There were no injuries to the pilot during the incident.
The investigation
Investigators examined the structural integrity of the aircraft's underside. The inspection revealed that a section of the tubular steel fuselage framework, which serves as the attachment point for the landing gear, had suffered a failure at a weld joint.
Analysis of the fracture surface showed a darker coloration compared to the surrounding metal, which suggested that a pre-existing crack had been present in the weld for some time. Records indicated that this specific area of the airframe had undergone repairs following a separate accident in October 1986, when the aircraft was operated under the registration G-AYMA.