Date:	Tuesday 19 April 2016
Time:	12:45
Type:	Pietenpol Air Camper
Owner/operator:	Trustee of: Offa Group
Registration:	G-OFFA
MSN:	PFA 047-13181
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Turweston Aerodrome, Biddlesden Road, Brackley, Buckinghamshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Bicester Airfield (EGDD)
Destination airport:	Turweston Aerodrome (EGBT)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
AAIB investigation to Pietenpol Air Camper, G-OFFA: Damaged when aircraft left the runway and the left landing gear collapsed, Turweston Aerodrome, Biddlesden Road, Brackley, Buckinghamshire, 19 April 2016. The incident was the subject of an AAIB Investigation, and the following is the summary from the AAIB Report:

"On completing a 50-minute flight from Bicester to Turweston the pilot made a straight‑in approach to land on Runway 27. On initiation of the flare the pilot noted turbulent wind conditions. After a normal touchdown on the runway, with no ‘crabbing’, the aircraft slowed down on all three landing gears. As the airspeed reduced below 30 knots, a gust of wind from the right caused the aircraft to 'weathercock'; despite the application of full rudder this could not be arrested due to an apparent lack of control authority.

The aircraft turned through 45° to the right as the upwind (right) wing lifted. This caused the aircraft to skid to the left, imposing a lateral loading on the left landing gear leg, which subsequently collapsed at a speed of approximately 10 knots; the aircraft came to a halt approximately 5 metres right of the runway.

=Other information=
The pilot reported that, prior to departing Bicester, he had obtained the latest ATIS information from Kidlington, which gave the wind as 360°/9 knots. During the flight he obtained an update that led him to expect a wind speed of 5 knots at Turweston.

=AAIB Conclusion=
The wind at Turweston was at 90° to the landing direction at a higher speed than the pilot was expecting. The pilot assessed that a sudden gust caused the aircraft to turn into wind and the right wing to lift, thus precipitating the event.

=Damage sustained to airframe=
Per the above AAIB Report "Damage to the propeller, engine shock-loaded, damage to the left-wing tip, left landing gear leg, and additional airframe damage". The aircraft was repaired in late 2017, after being sold on to new owners, and returned to service

Turweston Aerodrome (ICAO: EGBT) is an airfield located near the village of Turweston, in north Buckinghamshire near Brackley and the Northamptonshire border. Hence some published reports give the location as "Buckinghamshire" and others as "Northamptonshire"

1. AAIB Final Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/578df9f5ed915d3cfd000167/Pietenpol_Air_Camper_G-OFFA_08-16.pdf
2. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/G-OFFA.html
3. https://www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/G-OFFA/
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turweston_Aerodrome

This Pietenpol Air Camper was built in 2005, and was first registered (from new) on 3 November 1998 as G-OFFA. The first two owners were the \"Trustee of: Offa Group\" although the aircraft was re-registered on 29 July 2013 when the nominated trustee changed. The aircraft carried the name \"Sweet FA\" on the nose - presumed to be a reference to the \\\'last two\\\' letters of the registration...

After the incident at Turweston on 19 April 2016, the aircraft was sold on shortly afterwards to its third owners on 27 September 2016. As per the photo above, dated 25 August 2017, it was not until late 2017 that G-OFFA was airworthy again.

The third owner sold G-OFFA on to it fourth owner on 6 February 2020. On 4 September 2010 G-OFFA was involved in another incident when it landed at White Waltham and turned left off Runway 11. Shortly after taxiing about 50 meters, the right main gear leg collapsed (see separate ASN Entry)

As at 1 June 2023, G-OFFA had accumulated a total of 227 flying hours on the airframe.

G-OFFA Pietenpol Aircamper (post-accident) at Turweston Aerodrome, Biddlesden Road, Brackley, Buckinghamshire (EGBT) 25 August 2017:

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
06-May-2024 09:50	Dr. John Smith	Added
06-May-2024 09:50	ASN	Updated [Accident report]