Accident Overview
On 1 November 2014 at 1440 UTC, a Piper PA-28-181 Cherokee Archer II, registration G-TALE, was involved in an accident during landing at Blackbushe Airport, Surrey. The aircraft was manufactured in 1981 and powered by a single Lycoming O-360-A4M piston engine. The flight was conducted under a National Private Pilot’s Licence by a 35-year-old pilot with 163 total flying hours, all but one on the type. The pilot had flown one hour in the previous 90 days and none in the previous 28 days. There were three passengers on board. No injuries were reported among the crew or passengers.
History of the Flight
According to the pilot’s report, the aircraft was high on the approach to land on Runway 25. After touchdown, the aircraft lifted off again. The pilot checked the throttle lever by feel and believed it was fully closed. The aircraft bounced again, and the pilot decided against a go-around, expecting the aircraft to settle. The bounce became higher, and the aircraft pitched nose-down. The pilot considered that adding power would have worsened the situation because of the extreme nose-down attitude. At that point, he believes the propeller struck the ground. The aircraft bounced two more times, veered right off the runway onto the grass, and came to rest approximately 10 feet from a hedge.
Post-Accident Findings
After coming to rest, the pilot noticed that the throttle lever was stuck approximately two inches open and could not be closed. He closed the mixture and shut down the electrical system. Subsequent inspection revealed that the throttle had jammed due to nose leg damage sustained at some point during the landing. The aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, nosewheel leg, and engine mount.
Pilot’s Assessment
The pilot assessed that the accident was caused by a pilot-induced oscillation and stated that he should have initiated a go-around at an early stage.