What happened
On 15 November 1997, a Piper PA23 Aztec, registration G-SFHR, was conducting a private flight from Shannon Airport to Galway Airport. During the initial approach to Runway 08 at approximately 13:24 UTC, the pilot experienced several bounces on the runway surface. This led the pilot to abort the first landing attempt and perform a go-around.
A second landing attempt followed shortly thereafter. While the aircraft successfully touched down, the landing utilized nearly the entire 1,334-meter length of the runway. Air traffic controllers at the tower observed that the aircraft nearly veered off the runway surface during the rollout. When contacted by the tower regarding the close call, the pilot reported that the situation was fine.
After parking the aircraft, the pilot informed the tower of plans to fly to the UK the next day, making no mention of any technical issues or damage. It was not until three hours later that airport personnel noticed damage to one of the aircraft's propellers. An inspection of the runway surface revealed four distinct gouges, each roughly 2.5 cm deep, in the tarmac.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of the landing and the subsequent failure to report the propeller damage. Investigators examined the runway surface, which showed the physical evidence of the strike, and reviewed the communications between the pilot and the Galway tower.
Upon the pilot's return to the airport the following day, the air traffic controller questioned the damage. The pilot stated that he had consulted with maintenance support in the UK, who had cleared the aircraft for its scheduled flight. The aircraft subsequently departed for the UK without further incident at the airport.