Aircraft and Flight Details
The aircraft, a Piper PA-24 registered G-ARUO (year of manufacture 1961), was powered by a single Lycoming O-360-A1A piston engine. The flight was a private trip from White Waltham to Enstone Airport, Oxfordshire, for a CAA inspection and flight test to be carried out by a maintenance company. The sole occupant was the pilot, aged 42, holding a Private Pilot's Licence with 275 total flying hours, including 47 hours on type. His flight time in the preceding 90 days was 2 hours, and in the last 28 days, 0 hours.
Accident Narrative
The maintenance company operated from a hangar with an unlicensed grass strip orientated at 240°, offset approximately 20° from the main paved Runway 26 at Enstone. A fence constructed of wooden posts and plain wire separated the paved runway and the grass strip. The approach to the grass strip was between trees and a control tower located near the threshold. The pilot had previously visited the airfield once with a more experienced pilot and received a telephone briefing. He expressed concern about using the grass strip but felt obliged to do so as he was inbound to the maintenance company.
After arriving at Enstone, the pilot performed one approach and go-around before making an approach to the grass strip. He touched down at an angle of 20° to the direction of the strip, on an approximate heading of 220°. His intention was to slow the aircraft sufficiently after touchdown to turn onto 260° and continue the landing roll parallel to the fence and paved runway. Upon landing, observers noted several bounces; the aircraft then settled and continued running in the direction of landing. The pilot reported being unable to turn the aircraft enough, and it continued straight until it struck the fence between the runways. The left wing hit a fence post, slewing the aircraft through the fence. The aircraft came to rest on the tarmac runway, where the pilot shut down and exited normally. No fire started, though a fire truck was present.
Aftermath
The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot was not injured. Following the accident, the grass strip was realigned to run parallel to the paved Runway 26, with a displaced threshold and a length of 1,000 metres available for landing.