What happened
On 23 February 2016, a Piper PA-28-161 Cadet, registration G-BPJS, was conducting a training flight at Fairoaks Airport in Surrey. The aircraft, operated by a student pilot with 10 hours of total flying experience, was performing landing practice on Runway 24. Following two successful touch-and-go maneuvers, the student attempted a full landing on the asphalt surface.
An instructor observing from the control tower noted that the aircraft initially made a standard touchdown. However, once all three landing gear components were in contact with the runway, the aircraft began to oscillate, swinging toward the right and then toward the left. This lateral movement continued until the aircraft departed the paved runway surface and came to a stop on the adjacent grass area. At the time of the incident, the runway was dry and winds were light at 3/330°/6 kt.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the accident report submitted by the pilot. The student pilot stated that while the landing was centered on the runway, the right wing felt slightly elevated. In an attempt to maintain direction, the pilot applied right rudder but subsequently over-corrected with left rudder. The pilot also noted the possibility that the left brake was unintentionally applied, which may have induced a skid.
Post-incident inspection of the Piper PA-28-161 Cadet revealed that the nose landing gear leg had been bent to the left side.
Findings
- The aircraft exited the runway following a series of directional corrections.
- Improper use of rudder and potential accidental braking contributed to the loss of directional control.
- There were no injuries to the pilot during the event.