Incident Overview
On 18 December 1998 at 1450 UTC, a Piper PA-28-140 aircraft, registration G-BCJM, experienced an incident during landing at Manchester Airport. The aircraft was manufactured in 1974 and powered by a single Lycoming O-320-E3D piston engine. The flight was conducted under a Private Pilot's Licence.
Occupants and Pilot Experience
The aircraft carried one pilot and one passenger; both reported no injuries. The pilot, aged 53, held a Private Pilot's Licence and had accumulated 157 total flying hours, of which 26 were on the Piper PA-28 type. In the 90 days preceding the incident, the pilot had flown 2 hours, with the same amount in the previous 28 days.
Flight and Landing Sequence
According to the pilot, the approach and landing were made on Runway 24. The surface wind was reported as 170° at 10 knots. The aircraft touched down on its main wheels and then pitched forward onto the nose wheel. After landing, the aircraft was taxied to the parking area, where the damage was discovered.
Damage Assessment
An engineering examination revealed substantial damage to the nose landing gear, propeller, and engine bearers. The examination also indicated that the aircraft had contacted the runway in a nose-down attitude.
Pilot's Account
The pilot considered that the incident may have been caused by a stall during the flare due to turbulence. However, this assessment was not confirmed by the investigation.
Investigation Source
Information for this report was obtained from the Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot, as published by the AAIB (Bulletin No: 2/99 Ref: EW/G98/12/08).