Accident Details
On 7 May 2017 at 1200 hrs, a Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior II, registration G-BNRG, was involved in an accident at Sandown Airport on the Isle of Wight. The aircraft, built in 1981, was powered by a single Lycoming O-320-D3G piston engine. The flight was a private flight with one pilot and three passengers on board. The pilot held a Private Pilot's Licence and was 21 years old, with a total flying experience of 60 hours, of which 12 hours were on the accident type. In the last 90 days, he had flown 4 hours, and in the last 28 days, 3 hours.
Sequence of Events
After a standard overhead join and circuit, the pilot attempted to land but touched down late. He considered that he had enough runway to continue, but acknowledged in hindsight that he should have performed a go-around at that point. Following the initial touchdown, the aircraft bounced, further reducing the landing distance available. The pilot then considered that the safer option was to continue the landing. Once on the ground, he applied full brake pressure, but the aircraft rolled off the end of the runway at slow speed, into wasteland and some brambles.
Aircraft Damage
The aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, engine, left landing gear, and left wing. No injuries were reported among the crew or passengers.
Pilot's Assessment
The pilot considered that the cause of the accident was pilot error due to a poor approach and not making the decision to perform a go-around.