AAIB investigation to Europa, G-OURO
Nose gear collapsed and nosewheel detached during a field landing following an engine failure, west of Sywell Airfield, 12 June 2014.
Summary:
The pilot reported that while flying in the cruise at a height of 2,200 ft he heard a single loud bang. At the same time the aircraft juddered and the engine lost power and stopped. The pilot changed to the reserve fuel tank and unsuccessfully tried to restart the engine. He selected a suitable landing site in a field of wheat, set the transponder to 7700 and made a MAYDAY call to Turweston Radio. The aircraft touched down on both mainwheels, but despite holding the control column aft to keep the weight off the nose gear, it collapsed during the ground roll and the nosewheel detached. The passenger sustained minor bruising from the shoulder harness. Paramedics, police and the fire service all attended the scene of the accident. The reason why the engine stopped has not been established.
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