What happened
On 2 August 2011, a Wittman W8 Tailwind, registration G-BDBD, was performing a checkout flight at Wellsbourne Airfield in Warwickshire. The flight was part of a training program for a pilot holding a PPL under the LAA coaching scheme. During the flight, the commander occupied the right seat, while the trainee pilot occupied the left seat. The aircraft was only equipped with one set of brake pedals, which were positioned for use by the occupant of the left seat.
Upon landing on Runway 18, which had a light south-westerly wind, the aircraft began to drift toward the right. The commander attempted to correct this drift using standard rudder inputs, but the deviation increased. To assist with the correction, the commander instructed the pilot in the left seat to apply the left brake pedal. However, the aircraft's drift to the right accelerated, leading to the aircraft exiting the runway and entering a ground loop to the right. The incident resulted in one minor injury to a crew member.
The investigation
The investigation examined the sequence of events and the mechanical condition of the aircraft following the excursion. The commander suggested that an accidental application of the right brake pedal, rather than the intended left pedal, may have contributed to the loss of directional control. Furthermore, a post-accident inspection of the aircraft revealed that the left landing gear leg mount had experienced a partial failure prior to the accident.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained significant damage to the propeller, engine, engine mount, left wing, and the left landing gear and its mount.
- An inadvertent application of the right brake pedal was identified as a potential factor in the loss of control.
- A pre-existing partial failure of the left gear leg mount was present at the time of the accident.