Aircraft and Pilot Information
The accident involved a Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior II, registration G-BRBA, serial number 28-7916109. The aircraft was manufactured in 1979 and powered by a single Lycoming O-320-D3G piston engine. The pilot, aged 57, held a Private Pilot's Licence with a total flying experience of 521 hours, of which 426 were on type. In the last 90 days he had flown 1 hour, and in the last 28 days, 0 hours. The flight was a private circuit practice with only the pilot on board; no passengers were carried. The pilot reported no injuries.
Flight History
The pilot travelled to Full Sutton Airfield to practice circuits. The weather was cold and dry with very good visibility. The wind was 330° at 15 kt, and Runway 22 was in use. This grass runway had a landing distance available of 772 metres and was described as "very damp" on the day. The pilot first performed three touch-and-go landings. On his first final approach, he experienced strong turbulence and executed a low go-around, noting a mental plan to increase approach speed to 75 kt and limit flap to two stages. He then completed two successful touch-and-goes at that speed and configuration.
Accident Sequence
On his fourth approach, the pilot elected to perform a full-stop landing. Again, he encountered strong turbulence on short finals and added power to guard against sink and maintain stability. Touching down, he allowed the aircraft to roll freely to check directional stability before applying gentle braking. Noticing a lack of deceleration, he increased braking effort to "moderate" but sensed the wheels skidding. He attempted cadence braking to prevent wheel locking and also initiated gentle turns left and right to lose speed, but eventually allowed the aircraft to run straight toward the end of the runway. The aircraft overran the runway end to the left. Just prior to stopping, the nose landing gear caught a lip, compressing the oleo and causing the propeller to strike the ground. The nosewheel also sank into the soft ground, twisted sideways, and bent the leg. The pilot vacated the aircraft normally, having informed the Air/Ground Service.
Aftermath
The aircraft sustained damage to the propeller and nose landing gear. The pilot commented that, with hindsight, he should have gone around upon encountering the turbulence. He felt his preoccupation with adding power and persisting with the landing, combined with the runway condition and a possible slight tailwind component, had eroded his chances of stopping successfully.
Damage
Damage was limited to the propeller and nosewheel.