What happened
On 5 May 2019, a Piper PA-28-181 Cherokee Archer II, registration G-OPET, was performing a landing on Runway 12 at Cardiff Airport. During the landing phase, as the pilot reduced throttle and initiated the flare, the aircraft began to drift toward the left side of the runway. Despite attempts to use the rudder to correct this lateral movement, the aircraft drifted beyond the paved surface and onto the grass.
Following the excursion, the nose landing gear sustained damage. The pilot managed to taxi the aircraft back onto the runway surface; however, while attempting to exit the runway via Taxiway G, the pilot discovered that the aircraft was unable to complete a left turn. Consequently, the engines were shut down, and the airport fire service was required to manually move the aircraft to the apron.
The investigation
Investigators reviewed the circumstances surrounding the landing, noting that weather conditions at the time were good with a variable wind of approximately 3 knots. The investigation focused on the sequence of events during the flare and the pilot's efforts to maintain directional control. The physical damage to the nose landing gear was also assessed in relation to the aircraft's departure from the paved runway.