Accident Summary
On 25 May 2020 at 1216 UTC, a Piper PA-28RT-201 Arrow IV (registration N2943D) sustained damage to the propeller, right step, left flap, and underside of the fuselage during a landing at Enstone Aerodrome, Oxfordshire. The private flight was operated by a single pilot with no passengers; the pilot was uninjured. The aircraft was manufactured in 1979 and powered by one Lycoming IO-360-C1C6 piston engine.
History of the Flight
The pilot joined the downwind leg for Runway 26 North following a standard overhead join. No radio operator was on duty; blind calls were made on the Air/Ground frequency. A helicopter was flying circuits in the Runway 26 microlight circuit, and another aircraft had reported joining from the south. While on the downwind leg, the pilot became distracted by a second, lower-level helicopter that appeared to be joining the circuit directly on the base leg for Runway 26. The second helicopter made no radio calls on the Air/Ground frequency, and the pilot of N2943D was uncertain of its intentions. He believed that during this distraction he missed the check to lower the landing gear.
The second helicopter continued south, away from the airfield, and descended. The remainder of the circuit and final approach were uneventful. As the pilot flared for landing, the aircraft continued to settle, and he realized that the landing gear had not been lowered. The aircraft came to rest on the grass surface of Runway 26 North. The pilot completed shutdown checks and exited the aircraft without obstruction. He had not flown for some time due to poor weather and Covid-19 restrictions and was aware of his lack of recency. He had reviewed the aircraft checklists prior to the flight, which he had postponed once due to adverse weather.
Conclusion
The pilot considered that the cause of the accident was his distraction on the downwind leg due to the helicopter traffic that appeared to be ahead of him in the circuit. This led to an interruption in his pre-landing checks, which were being conducted from memory and not from a written checklist. When the pre-landing checks were recommenced, he continued from the point he thought he had reached rather than starting again. He also stated that he had not carried out his usual ‘Mixture/Prop/Wheels - Red/Blue/Green’ memory check while on final approach. The pilot had no recollection of the ‘wheels up/low revs’ warning buzzer during the base leg or final approach, but he did recall hearing it during the dead side descent before joining the circuit.