What happened
On 10 December 2008, a Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior II, registration G-LAZL, was involved in a ground collision at Old Sarum Airfield, Wiltshire. The aircraft was being operated on a private flight.
Upon starting the engine and completing necessary pre-flight checks, the pilot began taxiing the aircraft. At the time, a Rockwell Commander 112B Commander, registration G-IMPX, was parked nearby, facing the left side of the Piper. As the pilot of G-LAZL initiated a turn to the left to navigate around the stationary aircraft, the right wingtip of the Piper struck the rear section of the left aileron on G-IMPX.
In an attempt to avoid the collision, the pilot tried to tighten the turn by applying the brakes and reducing engine power to idle. However, the aircraft failed to stop before the contact occurred. The incident resulted in damage to the right wingtip of G-SAZL and damage to the left aileron and flap of G-IMPX. There were no injuries reported and no passengers were on board the Piper.
The investigation
The investigation was based on an aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the positioning of the aircraft and the sequence of the taxiing maneuver. The findings established that the pilot of G-LAZL had performed a brake check prior to the turn but failed to maintain sufficient clearance from the parked G-IMPX.