Incident Overview
On 28 June 2018, at approximately 0950 hours UTC, a Piper PA-38-112 Tomahawk, registration G-OEDB, sustained damage to its propeller, engine, and nose landing gear after a bounced landing on Runway 08 at Tatenhill Airfield, Staffordshire. The aircraft, manufactured in 1978 and powered by a single Lycoming O-235-L2C engine, was being operated as a training flight. The sole occupant, a 56-year-old student pilot, was not injured.
Flight Details
The student pilot had been briefed by an instructor to conduct a cross-country flight from Hawarden Airport to Tatenhill, then to Shobdon Aerodrome, before returning to Hawarden. The flight to Tatenhill was uneventful. The aircraft was positioned for an approach to Runway 08. Weather conditions were good, with no wind and an outside air temperature of 32°C.
Sequence of Events
On final approach, the aircraft was flying at 70 knots indicated airspeed with a steady rate of descent and configured with two stages of flap. At approximately 50 feet above ground level, the pilot reduced the engine power to idle and began the flare. The aircraft sank and bounced off the runway, ballooned upward, then bounced a second time. The pilot increased power to initiate a go-around but found the aircraft unresponsive and subsequently reduced power again. He attempted to maintain directional control while reducing speed, but the aircraft veered left and departed the runway onto the grass.
Aftermath
The pilot switched off the fuel and electrical systems and exited the aircraft unassisted, though the airfield's rescue and firefighting service had attended. In his report, the pilot suggested that the lack of wind, high temperature, and the aircraft's weight may have contributed to the incident, and noted that the aircraft seemed unresponsive with insufficient power for a go-around.