What happened
On 15 March 2009, a Yak-52, registration G-CBRU, was conducting a private flight in the vicinity of Enstone Airfield, Oxfordshire. During the approach, the pilot was required to perform two go-arounds due to the high volume of radio traffic and the number of other aircraft present in the circuit.
On the third attempt to land, while the pilot was lowering the landing gear on the downwind leg, he observed that the flaps remained in the deployed position and subsequently retracted them. During the final approach, the aircraft experienced a somewhat bouncy touchdown. As the aircraft was de-rotating, the propeller made contact with the ground, resulting in damage to both the propeller and the flaps.
There were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger.
The investigation
The investigation examined the sequence of events leading to the contact between the propeller and the runway surface. The inquiry focused on the pilot's actions during the final circuit and the impact of the preceding flight maneuvers on the landing execution.
Findings
- The pilot had experienced a loss of concentration during the downwind leg of the final circuit.
- This lapse in concentration was attributed to the fatigue or distraction caused by the two previous go-arounds and the high density of radio communications from other aircraft operating in the area.