What happened
On 17 November 2007, a Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior II, registration G-BODC, was conducting a training flight at Sherburn-in-Elmet Airfield in Yorkshire. During the conclusion of the flight, the instructor was demonstrating a short field approach and landing technique on the asphalt surface of Runway 29. The aircraft, weighing 960 kg, was flown with a left-hand offset to the runway centerline to compensate for a 11 kt crosswind.
As the aircraft reached the final 300 feet of the approach, it encountered windshear. This caused the rate of descent to increase and the airspeed to drop to approximately 55 kt, triggering the stall warning horn. Although the pilot attempted to pull back on the control column, insufficient elevator authority resulted in a heavy touchdown on all three wheels, with the aircraft landing facing left of the runway heading. Following the landing, the pilot struggled to steer the aircraft and noticed the nosewheel appeared lower than usual. After requesting assistance and shutting down the engine, an inspection confirmed that the nosewheel tyre had burst, leading to damage to the engine frame and the nosewheel assembly.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight parameters, the weather conditions, and the aircraft's mechanical state. It was noted that the weather was otherwise good. The investigators reviewed the manufacturer's recommended procedures for short field operations and compared the pilot's approach speeds to the values specified in the pilot's operating handbook for an aircraft of that weight.