Considerable damage caused to aircraft after its engine failed at 1,100 feet

Considerable damage was caused to a microlight after its pilot had to carry out a forced landing near Owston Ferry.
Sandtoft Airfield.Sandtoft Airfield.
Sandtoft Airfield.

The plane was flying to Sandtoft Airfield on the afternoon of July 5 this year, at an altitude of 1,100 ft, when the engine started to run roughly on one cylinder, the oil pressure gauge registered zero and the engine then stopped.

In a report from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) about the incident, it states the aircraft was a 2004-built C’air Falcon, registration, G-CC0, and the 49-year-old pilot, believed to be from the Gainsborough area, had 87 hours of commander’s flying experience.

The report added: “The pilot immediately selected a field, which contained a standing wheat crop, for a forced landing and, realising there would be a danger of the aircraft overturning on touchdown, decided to stall the aircraft in from a height of about 5ft. The subsequent heavy landing caused considerable damage to the landing gear and fuselage.

“After shutting down the aircraft, the pilot informed Sandtoft of his situation and vacated the aircraft normally. From the symptoms, he concluded that the crankshaft had snapped, although the engine had only accumulated some 40 hours since installation.”