What happened
On 17 January 1999, a Piper PA-2bl-161, registration G-BHRC, was performing a private flight at Sandtoft Airfield, Doncaster. During the final approach to runway 23, the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of altitude. As the aircraft descended, the right wing made contact with a lamp standard located near the start of the paved surface. The pilot, assisted by a passenger with experience on the aircraft type, managed to land the plane without further incident. There were no injuries to the pilot or the two passengers on board, though the aircraft suffered substantial damage to the right mainplane.
The investigation
The investigation established that runway 23 at Sandtoft features a displaced threshold due to several lamp standards rising 23 feet above the runway surface, situated within 23 metres of the pavement. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were fine with a surface wind of 230°/15 kt. The investigation found that the pilot's vision was significantly impaired by intense sun glare, as the sun was positioned directly in line with the runway approach. Additionally, the pilot had flown a wide circuit, resulting in an excessively long final approach.
Findings
- The aircraft was on a very long final approach due to the pilot flying a wide circuit.
- The pilot experienced a sudden loss of height during the late stages of the approach.
- Bright sunlight caused significant glare, which restricted the pilot's visibility of the approach path.
- The aircraft's right wing struck a lamp standard located within the displaced threshold area.