ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 386528
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| Date: | Friday 17 November 2023 |
| Time: | 14:05 |
| Type: | Flylight Nine |
| Owner/operator: | Flylight Airsports Ltd |
| Registration: | G-CMRF |
| MSN: | DA275 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Darley Moor Airfield, Ashbourne, Derbyshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Test |
| Departure airport: | Darley Moor Airfield, Ashbourne, Derbyshire |
| Darley Moor Airfield, Ashbourne, Derbyshire | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
AAIB investigation to Flylight Nine, G-CMRF: Rigging failure leading to aircraft damage during landing, Darley Moor Airfield, Derbyshire, 17 November 2023. The incident was the subject of an AAIB Investigation, and the summary of the AAIB Report was published on 11 April 2024:
"Approximately five minutes after takeoff, the rear base bar control wires became detached when the attachment bolt fell out of its fitting at the rear of the keel tube. The pilot quickly realised what had happened and applied back pressure on the base bar to create tension on the front base bar wires to keep the aircraft aerodynamically balanced. Without the rear attachment lines, the pilot could only apply limited control of the pitch of the wing using the control wires attached to the nose. The engine was not shut down at this point for fear of unbalancing the aircraft.
The pilot carefully turned the aircraft back towards the airfield, which was only a mile away, as he considered this the best option for landing safely. The weather conditions at the time were calm, which assisted him to keep the aircraft stable with minimal movement of the base bar during the approach. The aircraft touched down on the soft, boggy runway.
The aircraft landed flat but it was nose heavy, therefore, once lift was lost on landing, the base bar control wires went slack and the wing fell forwards. Loss of the rear attachment wires meant the base bar was free to pivot on its keel tube fitting which allowed the right wing to fold around the rigid main post and foul the propeller. The aircraft came to a stop, the engine was shut down and the pilot egressed with no injuries. The right wing and propeller were badly damaged.
=AAIB Conclusion=
Failure of the nyloc nut and bolt that secure the base bar’s rear control wires to the wing keel tube caused the wires to detach during flight. Despite the potential for aerodynamic instability, the pilot landed the aircraft successfully but the wing and propeller were badly damaged in the process. The manufacturer has issued longer replacement bolts and replaced the nyloc nut with a castellated nut and cotter pin and added the requirement for pilots to specifically check this fitting during their walk-round check in the Pilot’s Operating
Manual to prevent a recurrence
=Damage to airframe=
Per the AAIB Report "Significant damage to right wing and propeller" was sustained
Darley Moor Airfield and Road Race Circuit is situated on a high plateau adjacent to the A515, two miles south of Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB Final Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/661543f1c4c84d5772346a16/Flylight_Nine_SSDR_G-CMRF_04-24.pdf
2. https://www.flylight.co.uk/
3. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/G-CMRF.html
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darley_Moor_Airfield#Airfield
Location
Media:
Approach to Darley Moor Airfield, Derbyshire July 2011. Photographed from above from the South from a hang glider.
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Apr-2024 11:50 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 11-Apr-2024 11:50 | ASN | Updated [Embed code, Accident report] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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