Flight Details
On 25 August 2001 at 1130 UTC, a Piper PA-28-140 (registration G-AYMK, year of manufacture 1965, powered by one Lycoming O-320-E2A piston engine) operated by a private pilot conducted a flight from Newcastle to Nottingham Airfield. The pilot, aged 50, held a Private Pilot's Licence with a Night Rating and had accumulated 115 flying hours, all on type, with 4 hours in the last 90 days and 4 hours in the last 28 days. The flight was intended for a business meeting.
Incident Sequence
Meteorological conditions were reported as CAVOK with light winds, and the surface temperature at Nottingham was +26°C. The pilot planned a left-hand visual circuit to land on Runway 09, which has an asphalt and concrete surface and a published landing distance of 836 metres. During the base leg, the pilot judged the approach too close, flew onto the 'dead-side', and rejoined the circuit. On the subsequent approach, the aircraft touched down approximately halfway along the runway. As the pilot applied brakes, the aircraft veered to the right. Despite left rudder input, the aircraft crossed the right edge of the runway and came to rest on grass. The pilot vacated the aircraft unassisted via the normal exit; airfield fire and rescue services arrived shortly after.
Post-Incident Examination
Examination by the local maintenance facility revealed hydraulic fluid leaking from the area of the right brake unit. The nose landing gear was damaged and the tyres were scrubbed. No injuries were reported; the sole crew member was uninjured, and there were no passengers.
Pilot's Assessment
The pilot candidly provided the following assessment: "It was a hot day, with little wind and a runway with a slight down slope. All contributing factors, but it was basically down to pilot error. The approach was not correct and I should have gone around, even though I was heading for an appointment. Bad decision making."