What happened
On 1 April 2016, a Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior III, registration G-EHAZ, was conducting a private flight from Breighton Aerodrome in North Yorkshire. Following a takeoff from the grass runway, the pilot intended to perform a touch-and-go maneuver before proceeding to Kemble.
After completing the circuit and touching down, the pilot applied full power to continue the takeoff. However, the aircraft failed to accelerate as expected. In response to the lack of speed, the pilot closed the throttle and attempted to abort the takeoff. Despite this action, the aircraft could not be stopped within the remaining runway length and overran the end of the grass strip. The aircraft subsequently struck a hedge, resulting in severe damage to the airframe. There were no injuries to the pilot or the single passenger on board.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the loss of acceleration during the takeoff roll. The pilot noted that the lack of performance might have been attributed to a combination of two factors: the soft nature of the grass runway surface and the potential presence of carburettor icing.