What happened
On 10 July 2010, a Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior II, registration G-BJBX, was conducting a private flight at Full Sutton Airfield in Yorkshire. The pilot intended to perform circuits from the grass runway and had planned a shallower approach than usual to avoid a specific area in the middle of Runway 22 that had recently been reseeded.
During the approach, the pilot encountered light to moderate turbulence. As the aircraft crossed the airfield boundary, the right wing suddenly dropped, causing the wingtip to strike the ground short of the runway threshold. Despite the application of full power, the impact occurred, leading to the separation of the nose and right landing gear from the airframe and causing damage to the engine and propeller.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot and subsequent enquiries. The investigation examined the flight conditions, including the weather, which was reported as good with a surface wind of 170° at 13 knots. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's intentions regarding the avoidance of the reseeded section of the runway and the impact of the turbulence encountered during the final stages of the approach.