Date:	Saturday 12 August 2017
Time:	13:25 UTC
Type:	Van's RV-7A
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	G-ELVN
MSN:	LAA 323-14930
Year of manufacture:	2015
Engine model:	Lycoming YIO-360-M1B
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Sywell Aerodrome, Sywell, Northamptonshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Northampton/Sywell Aerodrome (ORM/EGBK)
Destination airport:	Northampton/Sywell Aerodrome (ORM/EGBK)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The RV-7 was substantially damages when nose landing gear collapsed on landing, Sywell Aerodrome, Sywell, Northamptonshire, according to the following excerpt from the official AAIB report into the accident:

"AAIB investigation to Vans RV-7A, G-ELVN
Nose landing gear collapsed on landing, Sywell Aerodrome, Northamptonshire, 12 August 2017.

This was the pilot’s third landing on grass and his second on Runway 23 at Sywell, having first landed on the same runway earlier that day. He recalled that the surface wind was from 280 degrees at 14 knots and that he flew a normal approach.

The aircraft was positioned over the centre line of the runway, however the pilot had difficulty judging the height above the runway and landed heavily on the nose landing gear which collapsed. The propeller struck the surface and the aircraft slid to a halt resting on the lower engine cowling.

Despite the tail-high attitude, the pilot and his passenger were able to open the canopy and escape forwards over the wing.

The pilot subsequently commented that just before touchdown he was not aware of any useful ground features in his field of vision to help him to judge his height accurately. On this 30 metres wide runway the edge markings are 3 metres x 1 metre chalked slabs, spaced 80 metres apart and slightly recessed into the ground. He said they were almost invisible just before touchdown and that the grass of the landing surface was too featureless to assist his precise judgement of the aircraft’s height.

The pilot stated that his successful landing earlier that day was made a few metres from the centre line and that he used the visual aspect of the centre line markings to ascertain his height."

=Damage sustained to airframe=
Per the AAIB report, the airframe received "substantial" damage. However, G-ELVN was repaired and returned to service, being sold on to its 2nd owner from new on 25 June 2018

1. AAIB: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/59e9f5ef40f0b61ab3d08862/Vans_RV-7A_G-ELVN_11-17.pdf
2. https://www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/G-ELVN/1031278
3. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/G-ELVN.html
4. http://www.rvuk.co.uk/viewpage.php?page_id=4&variable1=LAA%20323-14930
5. Later incident 21 May 2019: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/227038
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sywell_Aerodrome

This Vans RV-7A was built in 2015, and was first UK registered (in advance, while under construction) on 21 March 2013 as G-ELVN.

After the incident at Sywell on 12 August 2017, G-ELVN was repaired and returned to service, being sold on to its 2nd owner from new on 25 June 2018. As at 28 July 2023, G-ELVN had accumulated a total of 460 flying hours on the airframe

Other occurrences involving this aircraft


21 May 2019	G-ELVN	Private	0	Drayton St Leonard Airfield, 6 Nm SE of Oxford, Oxfordshire		sub
Bird strike

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-Nov-2017 23:34	Dr. John Smith	Added
10-Nov-2017 23:49	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
02-Apr-2018 06:51	junior sjc	Updated [Operator, Location, Destination airport, Narrative]
09-Jun-2024 16:49	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category]