What happened
On 11 April 2003, a Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior II, registration G-BGPL, was preparing for a private flight from the Newbury Race Course in Berkshire. The conditions at the time were favorable, with calm winds, good visibility, and a dry, short grass runway.
After completing pre-flight checks and confirming that fuel was balanced between the tanks, the pilot commenced the takeoff roll from Runway 11. The aircraft initially ascended normally; however, once airborne, the aircraft failed to continue accelerating and began to veer toward the right. During this loss of directional control, the left wing made contact with a small conifer tree. This impact caused the aircraft to slew to the left, where it subsequently brushed against a second tree. Despite the impact, the pilot successfully managed to bring the aircraft down on the remaining portion of the runway.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the accident report submitted by the pilot. Following the incident, the aircraft was inspected for structural and mechanical damage. The examination confirmed that the impact with the first tree had caused significant damage to the leading edge of the left wing, which resulted in a rupture of the left fuel tank.
During the post-flight assessment, the pilot reported that the flight controls and flaps had functioned as expected during the landing phase. The pilot also confirmed that no passengers had interfered with the flight controls during the takeoff sequence.