Accident Details
On 13 April 1998 at 1132 UTC, a Piper PA-28-161, registration G-BNOM, was involved in a runway excursion during landing at Gamston Airport, Nottinghamshire. The aircraft, manufactured in 1987, was powered by a single Lycoming O-320-D3G piston engine. The flight was private, with one pilot and one passenger on board. Both occupants reported no injuries.
Pilot Information
The 38-year-old pilot held a Private Pilot's Licence and had a total of 85 flying hours, of which 83 were on type. In the preceding 90 days he had flown 20 hours, and in the last 28 days, 3 hours. The day before the accident, he had a dual check with an instructor that included crosswind landings; his technique was assessed as above average.
Flight History
The pilot and passenger embarked on a cross-country flight in fine weather with planned landings at Sturgate and Gamston. The general surface wind was from 340° at 15 kt. The aircraft was well within weight and balance limits. At Sturgate, the pilot chose Runway 27 (LDA 790 m) with a crosswind from the right, despite the availability of the nearly into-wind Runway 32 (LDA 460 m). The landing and subsequent take-off at Sturgate were uneventful.
Landing at Gamston
At Gamston, which has a single runway, the pilot flew a normal circuit to land on Runway 03, where the crosswind was from the left. He flew the final approach with 40° flap at 65 KIAS, using the 'crab' technique to cope with drift. He 'kicked off' drift in the flare, but immediately after touchdown he heard a 'clunk' sound from the front of the aircraft, and it suddenly veered left. The aircraft left the runway onto the grass verge. Initially, the pilot intended to keep the aircraft parallel to the runway using rudder and nosewheel steering, but the left mainwheel ran off the edge of the verge into a ploughed field. The resultant drag slewed the aircraft left again. As the nosewheel entered soft ground, the nose leg collapsed, the propeller struck the soil, and the right wing struck the ground.
Damage
The aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, engine shock loading, collapsed nosewheel, crushed firewall, and a dented and dislodged starboard wing. Additional damage to the right wing attachment fittings was discovered at the maintenance facility. No pre-existing damage to the nosewheel steering system was evident.
Pilot's Attribution
The pilot attributed the accident to a very strong gust of wind which he was unable to correct in time to prevent leaving the runway.
Manual Guidance
The Normal Procedures section of the Airplane Flight Manual states: "The amount of flap used during landings and the speed of contact with the runway should be varied according to the landing surface and conditions of wind and airplane loading. It is generally good practice to contact the ground at the minimum possible safe speed consistent with existing conditions." The next paragraph, describing recommended landing technique, concludes: "In high wind conditions, particularly in strong crosswinds, it may be desirable to approach the ground at higher than normal speeds with partial or no flaps." The maximum demonstrated crosswind component for the type is 17 kt; the expected crosswind component for both landings would have been about 12 kt.