Date:	Sunday 8 May 2016
Time:	11:54
Type:	ICP Savannah VG Jabiru
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	G-SAVY
MSN:	BMAA/HB/499
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Minor
Category:	Serious incident
Location:	near Thorpe, 2 nm southwest of Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	North Coates, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:	Otherton Airfield, Penkridge, Staffordshire
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
AAIB investigation to ICP Savannah VG Jabiru, G-SAVY: Precautionary field landing following elevator tab vibration, near Thorpe, 2 nautical miles southwest of Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire, 8 May 2016. The incident was the subject of an AAIB Investigation, and the following is the summary from the AAIB Report:

"The pilot was flying the aircraft from North Coates Airfield in Lincolnshire to Otherton Airfield in Staffordshire. Following a normal departure from North Coates, the aircraft was cruising at 95 mph at 2,000 ft amsl when the pilot felt “a loud thump” from the rear of the aircraft. He reported that the control column was immediately “ripped” from his right hand and continued to shake violently in pitch. The pilot managed to regain hold of the control column and he reduced airspeed to 60 mph, after which the elevator vibration abruptly reduced.

The pilot retained full control in roll, yaw and over the engine but was concerned about pitch control, so he decided to make an immediate precautionary landing in a field 2 nm southwest of Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire. Following the precautionary landing, which was completed successfully, the pilot inspected the aircraft and discovered that the actuator arm of the electric trim servo, which was connected to the left elevator anti-balance tab, had fractured leaving the tab free to rotate, which had caused the severe elevator vibration".

=Examination of the aircraft=
The aircraft was examined by a member of the BMAA Technical Office. The range of elevator deflection was found to exceed the allowable limits for the aircraft. When the elevator was fully 'up', the anti-balance tab gearing could cause the tab deflection to go over-centre, producing a bending load in the servo trim actuator arm. This tendency was exacerbated with additional nose-down trim input from the trim servo. The pilot stated that it was his normal practice after landing to hold the nose of the aircraft up for aerodynamic braking, by using full up elevator. This could have induced bending loads on the servo actuator arm.

=Safety action=
The BMAA is currently surveying other UK-registered Savannah aircraft to determine whether any other examples exhibit the excessive elevator deflections found on G-SAVY, and will notify UK owners of their findings

=Damage sustained to airframe=
Per the AAIB Report "Elevator trim tab servo arm fractured". The aircraft was repaired and returned to service, bring sold on to its second (and current) owner on 10 July 2017

1. AAIB Final Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/57d6bd1440f0b6533a000042/Savannah_VG_Jabiru_1___G-SAVY_10-16.pdf
2. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/G-SAVY.html
3. https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/g-savy
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICP_Savannah
5. https://northcoatesflyingclub.com/flight-information/

This Savannah VG Jabiru was built in 2008, and was first UK registered (from new) as G-SAVY on 2 January 2009. After the incident on 8 May 2016 detailed above, the aircraft was repaired and returned to service, bring sold on to its second (and current) owner on 10 July 2017. As at 23 June 2023 G-SAVY has accumulated a total of 483 flying hours on the airframe

G-SAVY: Savannah VG Jabiru at Sleap Airfield, Shrewsbury, Shropshire 2 May 2021:

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
30-Apr-2024 14:36	Dr. John Smith	Added
30-Apr-2024 14:37	ASN	Updated [Accident report]