What happened
On 25 March 2010, a Taylor Monoplane, registration G-BLDB, was conducting a private flight at Sandtoft Aerodrome, Humberside. The pilot was performing a series of circuits and go-arounds, eventually positioning the aircraft for a full-stop landing on Runway 23. The surface wind was recorded at 160 degrees at 15 knots.
While the touchdown initially appeared normal, the aircraft began to veer toward the left side of the runway. In an attempt to correct the deviation, the pilot applied rudder; however, as the aircraft's speed decreased, the effectiveness of the rudder diminished. The pilot subsequently applied the left brake, which caused the aircraft to ground loop to the left. During this maneuver, the aircraft left the paved runway surface and entered a rough grass area. The aircraft eventually came to a halt after tipping onto its nose, causing the propeller to strike the ground. The incident resulted in damage to the propeller, the right wing, and the right landing gear. The pilot, who had 77 total flying hours, sustained no injuries and was assisted by the airfield rescue service.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report form provided by the pilot. Investigators examined the sequence of the landing roll and the pilot's control inputs. The pilot noted that the initial veer to the left prompted the corrective rudder input, which was followed by the use of the left brake as rudder authority failed due to the reduction in airspeed. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's experience, noting that of the 77 hours of fixed-wing experience, only one hour had been completed on this specific aircraft type.