AAIB investigation to Pelican PL, G-MPAC
Runway overrun, Stoke Golding Airfield, Warwickshire, 30 August 2020.
Summary:
The aircraft had flown from Oxenhope Airfield in Yorkshire and, with a northerly breeze, its pilot positioned to land on Runway 08 at Stoke Golding Airfield. He reported being slightly fast on the approach which resulted in a protracted flare and deep landing approximately halfway along the runway. Despite applying maximum braking, the pilot could not stop the aircraft, which overran the runway at an estimated 15 kt. It entered the boundary hedge and tipped nose-first into a deep ditch where it came to an abrupt halt. The pilot attributed the accident to accepting an excessively deep landing rather than going around.
The passenger was uninjured, but the pilot sustained severe injuries having struck his head on a metal bar running across the top of the cockpit. He put the severity of his injuries down to only having a 3-point harness and not bracing for impact. A post-accident field trial by the Light Aircraft Association showed that a slack shoulder strap would allow enough body movement for a seat occupant’s head to strike the metal bar during a rapid deceleration.
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