Date:	Wednesday 7 December 2016
Time:	13:27 UTC
Type:	Robin DR.400-180 Regent
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	G-ETIV
MSN:	2454
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Minor
Location:	Rochester Airport, Rochester, Medway, Kent -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Rochester Airport (RCS/EGTO)
Destination airport:

Narrative:
AAIB investigation to Robin DR400/180 Regent, G-ETIV: Damaged when mainwheel struck airfield lighting unit, Rochester Airport, Rochester, Medway, Kent, 7 December 2016. The incident was the subject of an AAIB investigation, and the following is the summary from the AAIB Final Report

"Following a medical procedure, the pilot asked a Qualified Flight Instructor (QFI) to act as his “safety pilot”. The QFI agreed and occupied the right seat of the pilot’s dual-controlled aircraft. The pilot had not sought advice from an Aero-Medical Examiner (AME) prior to the flight.

The left of two parallel runways (Runway 20L) at Rochester Airport was being used for takeoff but the pilot was unaware that Runway 20R was being used for landings when he carried out some forced landing practice orientated towards Runway 20L. During the second approach, when the aircraft was close to the ground, the QFI in the right seat overrode the pilot’s control inputs and turned the aircraft right, towards the parallel Runway 20R. The right mainwheel hit and destroyed an airfield lighting unit before the pilot regained control and landed the aircraft on Runway 20R.

The pilot assessed the accident to be a breakdown in communication and inappropriate aircraft handling by the QFI during the approach. A contributory factor was a misunderstanding of the regulations concerning a ‘Safety Pilot’.

=Nature of Damage to airframe=
Per the AAIB Report: "Right mainwheel spat severely cracked and brake unit damaged"

Rochester Airport (IATA: RCS, ICAO: EGTO) also known as Rochester Airfield, is a small airstrip located 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 km; 1.7 mi) south of Rochester in South East England, with the river Medway 1.5 NM (2.8 km; 1.7 mi) from the end of runway 34, 3.4 mi (5.5 km) from Chatham and its Historic Dockyard and the Medway area.

1. AAIB Final Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/59d21d6040f0b6107da9784a/Robin_DR400_180_Regent_G-ETIV_07-17.pdf
2. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/G-ETIV.html
3. https://www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/G-ETIV/876499
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochester_Airport_(Kent)#2010_onwards

Robin DR.400-180 Regent G-ETIV was built in 2000, and first UK registered as such on 12 July 2000. It was sold on to its second owner on 23 November 2010, followed by its third (and current) owner on 14 May 2014. G-ETIV was involved in a separate incident on 2 September 2014 at Spilstead Farm Airstrip, Stream Lane, Sedlescombe, Battle, East Sussex (see separate entry)

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

2 September 2014

G-ETIV

Private

0

Spilstead Farm Airstrip, Stream Lane, Sedlescombe, Battle, East Sussex

min

Robin DR.400-180 Regent G-ETIV at Rochester Airport, Rochester, Medway, Kent, September 9 2020

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Apr-2024 07:56	Dr. John Smith	Added