What happened
On 15 August 2014, a Piper PA-28-181 Cherokee Archer III, registration G-CGVC, was involved in a ground accident while taxiing at Perranporth Airfield in Cornwall. The aircraft was being operated on a private flight with one pilot and one passenger on board.
While maneuvering towards the control tower and fuel pumps, the pilot had to navigate around two parked aircraft. This required moving the aircraft to the right to clear a wingtip overhang and then moving back to the left to avoid another parked aircraft and to follow a 'keep left' road sign. During this sequence, the pilot misjudged the clearance between the left wingtip and a wooden fence post. The aircraft struck the post, causing the plane to yaw into a fence and subsequently hit a tree stump located behind the structure.
The collision resulted in minor injuries to the pilot, while the passenger was uninjured. The aircraft sustained damage to the fuselage, the left wing root, the propeller blades, the spinner, and the left wingtip.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the taxiing path and the environmental factors present at the time of the incident. The pilot's recent flying experience was noted, with 368 total hours, though only 5 hours had been flown in the preceding 90 days.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the pilot's misjudgement of the distance between the aircraft's left wingtip and a wooden fence post.
- The pilot's attention was diverted by the need to navigate around parked aircraft and the presence of a 'keep left' sign, which was intended for vehicular traffic but influenced the pilot's maneuvering.