Independent report

AAIB Record-only investigations reviewed: January - February 2026

Published 9 April 2026

This section provides details of accidents and incidents which were not subject to a Field or full Correspondence Investigation. They are wholly, or largely, based on information provided by the aircraft commander at the time of reporting and in some cases additional information from other sources. The accuracy of the information provided cannot be assured.

Event date	Aircraft Type	Registration	Location Name	Record Only Occurrence Text
12 Jan 2026	Vans RV-14	G-TREL	Sittles Farm Airfield, Staffordshire	After a local flight, the pilot returned to land at the airstrip from which he had departed approximately 25 minutes earlier. During the approach, the pilot misidentified the runway and landed in a crop of wheat to the right of the landing strip. The landing was smooth and the deceleration felt normal but, at about 10 to 15 kt, the main wheels entered soft ground and the aircraft tipped forward, coming to rest upside down.
28 Jan 2026	Piper PA-28-181	G-BOEE	Leicester Airport	After completion of engine start, the pilot commenced taxiing the aircraft. As the aircraft left its parking position, the pilot initiated a left turn. CCTV showed the aircraft accelerating during the turn and, as the aircraft completed the turn, its right wing struck the left aileron of a stationary PA-28, G-GALB, with sufficient force to move it approximately 30 ft.
14 Feb 2026	M20J 201	N937BP	Retford Gamston Airport, Nottinghamshire	The landing gear did not lower and so the aircraft landed with the landing gear retracted.
24 Feb 2026	Piper PA-28-140	G-BBBY	Abbots Bromley Airfield, Staffordshire	During takeoff for a local flight, with a student pilot in command, the engine appeared to lose power as the aircraft rotated. The instructor advised the student to abort the takeoff and land straight ahead, towards a hedge line which crossed the aircraft’s path. The instructor took control during the resulting forced landing. The aircraft struck the hedge.
25 Feb 2026	Socata TB9	G-BIBA	Denham Aerodrome, Buckinghamshire	The aircraft was approaching the runway for a flapless landing but clipped trees on short final. A go-around was flown after which the aircraft was flown past the tower to confirm that the landing gear was intact, which it was. The aircraft landed without further incident. The pilot reported that visibility on the approach had been poor because the sun was low and in line with the runway, which resulted in the approach being flown too low.