What happened
On 4 August 2007, a Vans RV-4, registration G-BULG, was conducting a private flight from Shipdham to a private airstrip at Firgrove, Wreningham. The flight, which included the pilot and the aircraft owner as a passenger, proceeded normally until the final approach.
During the landing on the grass runway, the aircraft achieved a standard 3-point touchdown. However, as the aircraft continued along the runway, it encountered a small ridge in the surface. This caused the aircraft to lift off in a high nose-up attitude. The pilot maintained a full aft position on the control stick, which resulted in the aircraft descending heavily. This impact caused the main landing gear to collapse rearwards, leading to damage to the propeller, engine mount, firewall, cowling, landing gear, and the underside of the wing.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft's handling characteristics and the pilot's experience. It was noted that this was the pilot's first flight in this specific Vans RV-4 model, although they possessed 600 hours of tailwheel experience. The passenger observed that while the ridge typically causes a minor hop, the pilot's decision to hold the stick fully aft caused the aircraft to pitch up and then 'mush' back into the ground.
Findings
- The primary cause of the gear collapse was the heavy landing following a high nose-up attitude triggered by a runway ridge.
- The pilot's decision to hold the control stick in the full aft position after the aircraft pitched up contributed to the severity of the impact.
- The pilot's lack of recent flying experience and lack of previous experience on this specific aircraft type may have influenced the handling of the aircraft during the touchdown phase.