What happened
On 16 March 2014, a Team Minimax 91, registration G-BZOR, was conducting a private flight at Farley Farm Airstrip in Hampshire. The pilot intended to complete a circuit of the airfield before concluding the flight with a landing.
During the approach phase, the pilot noted that the aircraft's glidepath appeared relatively flat. In an attempt to adjust the descent, the pilot increased power to climb slightly before reducing it again for the touchdown. During this maneuver, the pilot became distracted by gusty wind conditions and prematurely closed the throttle. This caused the airspeed to decay, leading to an aerodynamic stall approximately 6 ft above the ground. The resulting impact with the runway was severe enough to cause the landing gear to collapse.
There were no injuries to the pilot, though the aircraft sustained significant damage to the propeller, cowling, left wing, wing struts, and landing gear.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the sequence of events leading to the loss of airspeed and the impact with the ground. The pilot's flying experience at the time of the accident was 127 hours, with only 2 hours of experience specifically on this aircraft type.