What happened
On July 20, 2020, a private flight operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) was conducting an approach to runway 29 at Endelave (EKEL). The aircraft, a PA-28-140 with registration OY-TOF, departed from Holbæk (EKHK) and arrived at the destination without prior incident.
Upon approaching the airfield, the pilot performed a headwind leg to inspect the runway and wind conditions, noting a windsock indication of approximately 270 degrees at 10 knots and a clear runway. The pilot then transitioned to a left crosswind leg. During the approach, the pilot reduced engine RPM to 1600, set 10 degrees of flaps, and trimmed the aircraft to 85 mph. As the aircraft progressed to the base leg, flaps were increased to 25 degrees, and on final approach, they were set to 40 degrees with a trim speed of 80 mph.
During the final approach, the pilot became blinded by the low-positioned sun, despite wearing a cap. This glare caused the pilot to fail to notice a significant sink rate in the aircraft's descent. The aircraft's right main landing gear struck an elderberry bush approximately 150 meters before the runway threshold. The aircraft then entered a grain field roughly 100 meters before the threshold and came to a stop approximately 200 meters down the runway after traversing a ditch and a road, where the tail section made contact with the pavement.
There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The Danish Accident Investigation Board (Havarikommissionen) conducted an initial safety investigation. The inquiry examined the flight path, the pilot's actions, and the environmental conditions at the time of the incident. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft sustained damage to its tail structure near the rear tie-down point, and the impact with the bush and crops caused secondary damage to the airfield environment. Following the initial assessment, the Board decided not to pursue further investigation steps.