Anatomy of an Accident: Pegasus Quik, Pilot Sustains Serious Injuries
During the landing, a Pegasus Quik (G-CGRR) tipped over on landing and the pilot sustained serious facial injuries at Harringe Court Farm, Ashford, Kent, UK, on August 6, 2022. AAIB (Air Accidents Investigation Branch) investigated this accident and published its findings on May 3, 2023.
It was a private, one-person flight in the Pegasus Quik, G-CGRR, on August 6, 2022, in Harringe Court Farm, Ashford, Kent, in the UK, when, during the landing, the aircraft veered to the right and bounced before tipping over onto its right side.
Although the pilot was wearing a lap strap, he was not wearing the shoulder strap provided.
Consequently, he sustained serious facial injuries when his head made contact with the
front strut.
The pilot arrived at Harringe Court Farm airstrip, where the aircraft was based, at about
10:00 am on the day of the accident. He prepared the aircraft for a planned solo flight to
two local airstrips, both of which he had flown to before. The weather in the morning was
described as generally good, although there were reports of some thermal air currents
coming off the hill on which the airstrip was positioned. The pilot reported he was used to
such conditions and, while uncomfortable at low level, the thermal effects soon dissipated
during the climb after takeoff.
The pilot had no recollection of the accident flight due to the injuries he received. It was,
however, possible to get a record of his flying activities from information recovered from the
aircraft’s navigation unit and the pilot’s mobile phone.
History of the flight of the Pegasus Quik
The pilot took off from Harringe Farm to the north at 12:34 pm. Data recovered from the
aircraft and the pilot’s phone, recorded that he conducted a local flight, landing at two other
airstrips, before returning to Harringe Farm at 1:45 pm. A witness at Harringe Farm saw
the aircraft carry out an apparently normal final approach to land in a northerly direction.
The weather at the time was described as good, with just a light breeze. The witness
reported that after touching down, the aircraft bounced to a height of about a meter before
touching down again. On doing so, they described seeing the left rear wheel of the tricycle
undercarriage slowly lift into the air. They expected to see it settle onto the ground again,
but it continued to rise until the aircraft’s right-wing tip caught the ground, bringing the
aircraft abruptly to a halt on its right side.
Members of the public seeing the accident came quickly to assist the pilot, who had been
seriously injured. The emergency services were called and the pilot was transferred to
hospital by air ambulance.
Aircraft examination
Examination of the engine controls and brake systems did not show any faults or anomalies.
The front strut was intact with most of the aircraft damage occurring to the wing and the
A-frame, with the right upright and its top knuckle having failed in overload. All the damage
to the aircraft was consistent with it rolling onto its side.
Conclusion
During the landing, the aircraft tipped over onto its side. The pilot, who was not wearing
the shoulder strap provided, sustained serious facial injuries when his head struck the front
strut and the right upright during the accident sequence.
Read the full AAIB field investigation report including in-depth information about the accident site, airstrip, aircraft examination, survivability, the pilot’s helmet, and more, “AAIB Report: Pegasus Quik (G-CGRR), Tipped Over On Landing, August 6, 2022,” published May 3, 2023.
Content/photo credit: AAIB, “AAIB Report: Pegasus Quik (G-CGRR), Tipped Over On Landing, August 6, 2022,” published May 3, 2023.
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