What happened
On 22 August 2000, a Yak 18T, registration LY-AIH, was returning to White Waltham Airfield in Buckinghamshire following a flight from Earls Colne. While performing an overhead join for a left-hand circuit to Runway 03, the pilot noticed a Piper Cub ahead on the downwind leg. Because the Cub was traveling at a significantly lower speed, the pilot became preoccupied with maintaining safe separation between the two aircraft.
This distraction prevented the completion of the downwind checklist. Consequently, the landing gear remained retracted. The pilot extended the downwind leg by 1.4 nm before deciding to proceed on final approach. Because the aircraft was approaching with the gear up and flaps retracted, the pilot maintained a power setting similar to a standard approach, which masked the configuration error. During the landing flare, a radio instruction to perform a go-around was issued, but the propeller struck the runway surface. The aircraft subsequently settled onto the runway and slid to a stop. There were no injuries to the pilot or the single passenger, the pilot's daughter.
The investigation
The investigation, based on the pilot's accident report, established that the pilot's attention was diverted by the presence of slower traffic in the circuit. The investigation examined the sequence of the approach and the pilot's failure to execute the necessary checklists. It was noted that the pilot had sufficient experience, though only 22 hours on this specific type. The investigation also confirmed that the pilot had properly briefed the passenger on emergency egress and the use of the four-point harness, allowing for a rapid exit from the aircraft.