What happened
On 13 April 1998, a Piper PA-28-161, registration G-BNOM, was conducting a private cross-country flight with one passenger. The flight included planned stops at Sturgate and Gamston. During the arrival at Gamston, the pilot performed a standard circuit to land on Runway 03, facing a left-hand crosswind. The approach was conducted using 40° flaps at a speed of 65 KIAS, employing a crab technique to manage drift.
Immediately following touchdown, the pilot applied rudder to cancel the drift. At this moment, an audible sound originated from the front of the aircraft, and the plane began to veer toward the left. The aircraft exited the runway onto the adjacent grass verge. While the pilot attempted to maintain a parallel course using nosewheel steering and rudder, the left mainwheel transitioned from the verge into a ploughed field. The sudden drag caused the aircraft to slew further left. As the nosewheel sank into the soft earth, the nose leg collapsed, leading to the propeller striking the ground and the starboard wing making contact with the surface. There were no injuries to the two occupants, who exited the aircraft safely.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft and the circumstances of the landing. The aircraft was recovered to a maintenance facility, where inspections revealed damage to the right wing attachment fittings in addition to the initial damage to the propeller, engine shock loading, and the collapsed nosewheel. The investigation confirmed that there was no prior damage to the nosewheel steering system. The weather conditions at the time involved a surface wind from 340° at 15 knots, resulting in an expected crosswind component of approximately 12 knots, which was within the aircraft's demonstrated limits.
Findings
- The aircraft departed the runway after the left mainwheel entered a ploughed field.
- The sudden drag from the soft ground caused the nosewheel to collapse and the aircraft to strike the ground with the propeller and wing.
- The pilot's landing technique involved a high flap setting (40°) during a crosswind landing.