Accident Details
On 19 June 2005 at 0937 UTC, a Piper PA-28-161 Cadet (G-EXON) and a parked Piper PA-28R-200 Cherokee Arrow II (G-RONG) were involved in a ground collision at Elstree Aerodrome, Hertfordshire. The Cadet, on a solo training flight, had just become airborne when it drifted left into the grass, crossed a taxiway, and its right wing struck the wing of the parked Cherokee Arrow. Both aircraft spun approximately 180 degrees before stopping. The student pilot shut down the engine and vacated the aircraft without injury.
Aircraft Information
G-EXON was a Piper PA-28-161 Cadet manufactured in 1989, powered by a single Lycoming O-320-D3G piston engine. G-RONG was a Piper PA-28R-200 Cherokee Arrow II manufactured in 1973, powered by a single Lycoming IO-360-C1C piston engine. G-EXON sustained substantial damage; G-RONG's starboard wing was written off and its cowling was damaged.
Pilot Background
The commander of G-EXON was a 33-year-old student pilot with a total flying experience of 33 hours, of which 32 were on the type. She had approximately 5 hours of pilot-in-command time on type and had been authorised for her second solo navigation exercise from Elstree to Southend. She had flown the route with her instructor the previous day. Her instructor described her as a very competent student, thorough in all aspects of flying.
Weather Conditions
The surface wind at Elstree was reported as 180°/5 kt. The Meteorological Office analysed conditions and, while no gusts were reported in METARs (which exclude gusts less than 10 kt above mean), radiosonde data indicated wind at 2,000 ft was about 180°/15 kt. The meteorologist estimated surface wind averaged 6–10 kt with possible gusts up to 10–12 kt; however, no actual reports were available. The demonstrated crosswind limit for the Cadet is 17 kt.
Sequence of Events
The student pilot completed all pre-start, power, and pre-takeoff checks. She was instructed to take off at her discretion by the Flight Information Service Officer (FISO). She lined up on Runway 26 and began the take‑off roll, applying the appropriate cross‑wind technique. As the aircraft became airborne at about 65 kt, she felt it move laterally to the left, into the crosswind, and the left tyre contacted the ground again. Believing the aircraft would continue to roll left, she applied right rudder to regain control. The aircraft was then on the grass running parallel to the runway. The pilot closed the throttle and mixture controls and attempted to brake, but braking was ineffective. The aircraft continued to drift left across the parallel taxiway, tracking southwest. The right wing contacted the wing of G-RONG, causing both aircraft to spin through about 180°. After G-EXON came to a stop, the pilot shut down and vacated without injury.
Pilot's Assessment
In a frank report, the pilot considered that, although she had applied the correct crosswind technique, due to her inexperience she probably did not use enough rudder and may have experienced a slight southerly gust.
Maintenance Check
Discussions with the maintenance organisation indicated that there was no pre‑existing mechanical problem with G-EXON.