Aircraft and Flight Details
The aircraft involved was a Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee, registration G-SMTH, manufactured in 1970. It was powered by a single Lycoming O-320-E2A piston engine. The private flight carried one pilot and one passenger, both uninjured. The pilot held a Private Pilot's Licence and had accumulated 85 hours of flying experience, including 2 hours on the PA-28 type.
Incident Description
The flight originated and concluded at Southend Airport, Essex, with an intermediate landing at Stapleford. On return, the pilot conducted an approach to Runway 24 under good weather conditions, with a surface wind from 180° at 10 knots. The approach appeared normal, but after touchdown the aircraft slewed to the left and departed the runway onto grass. During the excursion, the right wing tip contacted the runway surface, resulting in slight damage. The pilot brought the aircraft to a stop on the grass and subsequently taxied to the ramp.
Braking System and Pilot Comments
The PA-28-140 model features a single lever-operated brake beneath the instrument panel that applies equal braking pressure to both main wheels; it lacks differential toe brakes. The pilot had been checked out on the aircraft previously but had limited experience with this brake system. He reported using the 'wing down' crosswind technique for the landing and speculated that he may have applied the brakes too early. He noted that if the brake was applied while only one main wheel was in contact with the runway, the resulting braking effect could have caused a rapid swing in that direction.