What happened
On 28 June 2018, a Piper PA-38-112 Tomaharde, registration G-OEDB, was conducting a cross-country training flight when it departed the runway at Tatenhill Airfield, Staffordshire. The flight, commanded by a student pilot, was part of a planned route originating from Hawarden Airport with subsequent stops at Shobdon Aerodrome.
During the final approach to Runway 08, the aircraft was flying at 70 KIAS with two stages of flap deployed. The weather conditions were characterized by good visibility, no wind, and an outside air temperature of 32ºC. As the aircraft reached approximately 50 ft above ground level, the pilot reduced power to idle to initiate the flare. During this maneuver, the aircraft sank and struck the runway, resulting in a bounce. A second bounce followed, causing the aircraft to balloon.
In an attempt to recover, the pilot applied power to execute a go-around; however, the engine appeared to be unresponsive to the power increase. Consequently, the pilot reduced power again. While attempting to maintain directional control and reduce speed, the aircraft veered toward the left side of the runway and exited the paved surface onto the grass. There were no injuries to the pilot, but the aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, engine, and nose landing gear.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the sequence of events leading to the runway excursion and the aircraft's performance during the critical moments of the landing attempt. The investigation also considered the environmental conditions and the aircraft's configuration at the time of the incident.