Accident Details
On 20 May 2018 at 1155 UTC, a privately operated Piper PA-28-181 Cherokee Archer II, registration G-JJAN, sustained damage to its nosewheel and propeller during a landing at Solent Airport, Hampshire. The aircraft, built in 1986 and powered by a Lycoming O-360-A4M piston engine, was occupied by a single pilot and three passengers. No injuries were reported.
Sequence of Events
The pilot conducted an approach to Runway 23R under fine weather conditions. The aircraft touched down just after the runway numbers but bounced and became airborne again. The pilot subsequently allowed the aircraft to descend back onto the runway. Upon touchdown, the pilot heard a grinding or scraping noise as the nosewheel was damaged. The aircraft bounced a second time before finally touching down and coming to a halt in a nose-low attitude.
Pilot Background
The 45-year-old pilot held a Private Pilot's Licence and had accumulated 118 hours of total flying experience, including 61 hours on the accident aircraft type. In the 90 days preceding the accident, the pilot had flown 21 hours, with 10 hours in the last 28 days.
Post-Accident Assessment
The pilot reported that the approach was too fast and, considering the heavy landing, believed a go-around could have prevented the accident.