Date:	Monday 31 March 1986
Time:	16:15
Type:	Schempp-Hirth Janus CM20
Owner/operator:	Oxfordshire Sportflying Ltd
Registration:	G-BMBJ
MSN:	20/209
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Enstone Airfield, Banbury Road, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Enstone Airfield, Oxfordshire (EGTN)
Destination airport:	Enstone Airfield, Oxfordshire (EGTN)

Narrative:
Schempp Hirth Janus CM20 Motor Glider G-BMBJ: Substantially damaged 31 March 1986 in an accident when on final approach to Enstone Airfield, Banbury Road, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. The incident was the subject of an AAIB Investigation, and the following is the summary from that investigation...

"The aircraft was in its 'pure glider' configuration, with the assistance motor fully retracted, and was being flown in a right hand circuit to land at Enstone Airfield. A K7 glider had just landed on Runway 26, which is 6,000 feet long, 150 feet wide, and has a smooth tarmacadam surface. The runway surface was dry, with an estimated wind of 25 knots at 280 degrees, with gusting of up to 30 knots. There was moderate turbulence at altitudes below 1,500 feet.

When established on final approach, the pilot of G-BMBJ noted that runway 26 was still obstructed by the K7 glider, and that there was a motor vehicle moving across the runway from right to left, in front of the K7 glider. The K7 glider was located approximately 1,500 feet from the threshold of Runway 26, adjacent to the threshold of the parallel 2,600 feet grass runway. The grass runway was available and cleared for use.

The pilot elected to land over the obstructing K7 glider, and chose to aim at a touchdown point some 600 feet ahead of it. G-BMBJ was then configured with the landing flaps, and the pilot selected about one-eighth airbrakes; as he crossed the runway threshold, he noted that the indicated air speed (IAS) was about 70 knots.

The second pilot noted that, as they passed over the K7 glider, passing over it by about 50 to 100 feet, the IAS had fallen to 50 knots. The pilot lowered the nose prior to the flare, but was unable to prevent a heavy landing. The aircraft fuselage fractured aft of the engine compartment, but the tail section remained attached.

=Damage to airframe=
Per the above AAIB Report "fuselage fractured aft of the engine compartment, control runs distorted".

G-BMBJ was first registered on 9 September 1985, so was with the first owner, and less then one year old at the time of the above accident. It was also involved in a further accident at Enstone Airfield on 20 July 1986 (see link #3). Presumably, it was repaired and returned to service being sold on to its second owner on 3 January 1991. Since then, it was been sold on to new owners a further seven times (making a total of nine owners "from new"). Despite this, it was still flying on 24 August 2022 (see link #5)

1. AAIB (Accident 31 March 1986): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f21d40f0b61346000411/Schempp_Hirth_Janus_CM20_G-BMBJ_04-86.pdf
2. CAA: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-BMBJ.pdf
3. AAIB (Accident 20 July 1986): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5423028bed915d1374000b37/Schempp-Hirth_Janus_CM_G-BMBJ_10-86.pdf
4. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/janus.htm
5. https://www.radarbox.com/data/registration/G-BMBJ
6. G-BMBJ/BJ Schempp-Hirth Janus CM (209) at Keevil on 08/01/12: https://www.flickr.com/photos/15110856@N02/6666858031/in/photolist-ba8oC8-Le5GUD [photo]
7. G-BMBJ/BJ, Schempp-Hirth Janus CM, Bicester 17th August 2016: https://www.flickr.com/photos/62861611@N08/29027730301/in/photolist-ba8oC8-Le5GUD/ [photo]
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schempp-Hirth_Janus
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enstone_Airfield

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
25-Aug-2022 02:07	Dr. John Smith	Added
27-Aug-2022 17:04	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]