No fatalities

Piper PA-28-161 Overruns at Breighton Aerodrome (G-EHAZ)

Breighton Aerodrome, North Yorkshire, GB

On April 1, 2016, a Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior III (registration G-EHAZ) was involved in an aviation accident near Breighton Aerodrome, North Yorkshire, GB. No fatalities were reported. This summary draws on records from the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).

Sourcesthe UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB)Primary reportUpdated 2026-10-18Data APIEditorial standards
Aircraft registered G-EHAZ
Aircraft registered G-EHAZ. Photo: James from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior III overran the grass runway at Breighton Aerodrome after an aborted touch-and-go, colliding with a hedge and sustaining severe damage. Both occupants were uninjured.

Accident Details

On 1 April 2016 at 1400 UTC, a Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior III, registration G-EHAZ, experienced an accident during a touch-and-go landing at Breighton Aerodrome, North Yorkshire. The aircraft was on a private flight, initially intending to depart from the grass runway to Kemble. The pilot and one passenger were on board; neither sustained injuries.

Sequence of Events

According to the pilot's report, after taking off from the grass runway, he planned a touch-and-go before proceeding to his home airfield at Kemble. The circuit was flown without incident. Following touchdown, he applied full power. The aircraft did not appear to accelerate, leading the pilot to close the throttle and abort the takeoff. Despite this action, he was unable to stop the aircraft before it overran the end of the runway and collided with a hedge.

Aircraft Information

The aircraft was a 2002 Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior III, serial number 2842168. It was powered by a single Lycoming O-320-D3G piston engine. The nature of the damage was described as severe.

Pilot Information

The 44-year-old pilot held a Commercial Pilot's Licence and had accumulated 3,639 flying hours, of which 2,500 hours were on the accident aircraft type. In the 90 days prior to the accident, he had flown 305 hours, and in the previous 28 days, 67 hours.

Pilot's Observations

In his report, the pilot expressed the belief that the lack of acceleration may have resulted from a possible combination of the soft grass surface and carburettor icing.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1 Apr 2016 Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior III accident near Breighton Aerodrome, North Yorkshire, GB?

A Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior III overran the grass runway at Breighton Aerodrome after an aborted touch-and-go, colliding with a hedge and sustaining severe damage. Both occupants were uninjured.

Were there any fatalities in the 1 Apr 2016 Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior III accident?

No fatalities were recorded in this accident.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1 Apr 2016 involved a Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior III, registration G-EHAZ, at Breighton Aerodrome, North Yorkshire, GB.