What happened
On 13 September 2020, a Piper PA-2-8-161 Warrior II, registration G-BTRY, was conducting a private flight from Ledbury Airfield to Enstone Airfield. While approaching Runway 26, the pilot encountered significant glare from the setting sun. During the final approach, the aircraft's left main landing gear tyre struck a 3.5-metre-tall pile of gravel located on a disused section of the airfield, approximately 120 metres from the runway threshold. The impact caused the left landing gear leg to detach from the aircraft.
Following the impact, the pilot performed a go-around. After consulting with another pilot on the airfield, the commander decided to divert to Oxford Airport to access superior emergency and firefighting services. Upon landing at Oxford Airport on Runway 19, the aircraft veered off the paved surface and came to rest on the grass. There were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger, though the aircraft sustained damage to the left wing, tailplane, and left main landing gear.
The investigation
The investigation established that the gravel pile was positioned on the extended centreline of the runway area. While the pilot was aware that the disused area was used for sand and gravel storage, the top of the pile was not conspicuously marked. An instructor observing the approach noted that the aircraft was flying at an unusually low altitude. The investigation also reviewed guidance from CAP 793, which suggests that any obstacle posing a hazard to aircraft should be clearly marked if it cannot be removed.
Findings
- The aircraft struck the gravel pile because the approach altitude was too low.
- The top of the gravel pile sat at an angle of 1.7° to the runway threshold, which is significantly below the standard 3° approach path.
- The glare from the setting sun and the pilot's focus on identifying the runway threshold likely contributed to the low descent.
- The lack of conspicuous markings on the gravel pile prevented the pilot from perceiving the obstacle.
Safety action
Following the incident, the airfield operator noted that the landowner reduced the height of gravel piles and moved future storage further from the airfield boundary to mitigate the hazard.