Date:	Friday 31 August 2018
Time:	18:00 LT
Type:	Aero Designs Pulsar
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	G-LUED
MSN:	PFA 202-12122
Year of manufacture:	1996
Engine model:	Rotax 582
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Sturgate Airport (EGCS) -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Sturgate Airport (EGCS)
Destination airport:	Sturgate Airport (EGCS)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
Police raced to the scene as a small aeroplane crashed and flipped over when it was landing. Officers were called to Sturgate Airfield in Gainsborough last night, Friday August 31 at around 6 pm. They had received reports that the small aeroplane had overrun the runway causing it to flip over when it landed.

The airfield is located in Common Lane close to Heapham and the road was closed while emergency services dealt with the situation. Luckily the male pilot only received minor injuries and the female passenger came away from the scene uninjured.

However, while on scene the Lincolnshire Police ARV unit said they arrested someone who drove around the road closure and over an active runway. They tweeted out: "Tonight while we were on scene at a light aircraft crash a driver avoids the road closure by driving over an active runway and into a ditch. "The driver was arrested by local officers after failing a breath test."

Lincolnshire Police said that the necessary authorities are aware and dealing with the incident.

UPDATE: The official AAIB report into the accident was published 11 April 2019, and the following is an excerpt from it...

"Synopsis:
After landing at Sturgate Airfield, G-LUED overran the runway and crossed a bare patch of earth before its mainwheels dropped into a ditch. The aircraft then flipped over and came to rest inverted heading back towards the runway. The occupants of a passing car helped the pilot and his passenger vacate the aircraft.

History of flight:
As he took off, the pilot assessed that the weather was fair, with a 5 kt breeze from the south west. On checking the windsock before landing, he judged that the wind was more southerly in direction, but still suitable for a landing on the westerly runway. The pilot did not report the actual threshold speed achieved but stated that the aircraft failed to decelerate as anticipated after it touched down at the start of Runway 27.

The aircraft overran the 820-metre landing distance available and crossed an un-prepared surface before its mainwheels dropped into a ditch. The aircraft then nosed over, coming to rest inverted heading approximately 100°M with its tail adjacent to a public road bounding the airfield. The pilot considered that the wind had swung round towards the south east during his approach and he believed that an unexpected tailwind was the cause of the runway overrun

Conclusion:
This accident occurred because the aircraft was not stopped in the landing distance available. Light, slippery aircraft pose an energy management challenge and their pilots need to be alert to the threat of deep landings

Nature of Damage to airframe:
Per the above AAIB report "Broken canopy, nose and propeller damage". The aircraft was repaired and returned to service, passing on to its next (3rd UK-registered and current) owner on 12 September 2023

1. AAIB Final Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5c8a7181ed915d5c0df2e7dd/Pulsar_G-LUED_04-19.pdf
2. https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/local-news/police-race-scene-runway-small-1959128
3. https://www.briefreport.co.uk/news/police-race-to-scene-of-runway-as-small-aeroplane-flips-over-on-landing-5899112.html
4. https://twitter.com/LincsARV (31 August 2018)
5. https://twitter.com/GainsboroughFRS (31 August 2018)
6. G-LUED 'the right way up': https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1125163
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturgate_Airfield

Pulsar G-LUED upside down at Sturgate 31 August 2018 (top right picture)

AAIB April bulletin publishedhttps://t.co/phS269AnT6 pic.twitter.com/S91vZ5surk

— AAIB (@aaibgovuk) 11 April 2019

Tonight while we were on scene at a light aircraft crash a driver avoids the road closure by driving over an active runway and into a ditch. The driver was arrested by local officers after failing a breath test. #catchmeifyoucan pic.twitter.com/TGKKbqpG1M

— Lincolnshire Police ARV (@LincsARV) August 31, 2018

18:20 @GainsboroughFRS attended Main Street, Heapham to an overturned light aircraft. No persons trapped, crew isolated fuel & electrics on aircraft using hand tools. Crews then righted aircraft onto airfield using manpower.

— Lincs Fire & Rescue (@LincsFireRescue) August 31, 2018

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
01-Sep-2018 09:55	gerard57	Added
01-Sep-2018 10:19	Iceman 29	Updated [Time, Source, Narrative, ]
01-Sep-2018 10:21	Iceman 29	Updated [Location, Destination airport, ]
01-Sep-2018 12:25	Aerossurance	Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Narrative, ]
14-Sep-2018 21:50	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Location, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ]
12-Apr-2019 12:27	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ]
12-Apr-2019 12:28	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Embed code, Narrative, ]
28-Jul-2024 20:04	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative, Category, ]