Background
The aircraft involved was a Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior II, manufactured in 1977 with serial number 28-7716105. It was equipped with one Lycoming O-320-D3G piston engine. The flight was a private operation with one pilot and one passenger. The pilot, aged 53, held a Private Pilot's Licence and had accumulated 87 hours of flying experience, all on the same type, including 19 hours in the last 90 days and 7 hours in the last 28 days.
Flight History
The flight originated from Denham and arrived at Enstone Aerodrome in Oxfordshire on 27 August 2012 at 1345 UTC. Weather conditions were described as fine but breezy. On arrival, the pilot was advised that Runway 08 was in use. The marked runway at Enstone is located on the southern half of the original paved runway, resulting in a width approximately half that of the original surface. A wire fence with 6-foot-tall posts runs along the northern edge of the paved area.
The forecast wind at 2,000 ft was from 190° at 35 kt. The surface wind at Enstone was forecast to be from 170° at 15 kt, gusting to 25 kt. During the final approach, the pilot was informed that the surface wind was from 180° at 12 kt.
Accident Sequence
The pilot was content with the final approach, which was flown using left rudder and right aileron to maintain a straight path, with two stages of flap extended. The aircraft landed slightly left of the marked runway centerline. As the nosewheel was lowered onto the runway surface with the rudder straight, the aircraft veered to the left. The pilot was unable to correct the direction before the aircraft traveled across the full width of the asphalt and struck a fence post with its left wing. The aircraft came to a stop with fence posts and wire wrapped around both wings and the propeller, causing the engine to stop. The pilot and passenger were uninjured and vacated the aircraft through the main door.
Damage
The accident resulted in damage to the wings, fuel tanks, nose cowling, and propeller.
Pilot's Assessment
The pilot considered that the crosswind had been a significant factor in the accident.