Introduction
On 30 June 2002 at 1720 UTC, a Piper PA-28-161 (registration G-BOZI) was involved in an accident at Peterborough (Conington) Airport. The aircraft was manufactured in 1981 and powered by a single Lycoming O-320-D3G piston engine. The flight was a private pleasure flight, with only the pilot on board. The pilot held a Private Pilot's Licence and had accumulated 260 hours of flying experience, 145 of which were on the accident type.
Flight History
The aircraft was returning to Conington Airport after a two-hour pleasure flight. The wind at the airfield was reported as from 230° at 15 knots, gusting to 30 knots. The pilot established the aircraft on an approach to Runway 28 at an indicated airspeed of 75 knots with flaps set to 30°. He recalled being slightly right of the centreline as he reduced power during the landing flare. After reducing the power to idle, the aircraft rose to a height of approximately 10 feet. The stall warning activated, and then the nose and the left wing dropped suddenly.
Damage
Upon touchdown, both the left main landing gear and the nose landing gear buckled, causing the propeller to strike the runway. The damage included the left wing, main and nose landing gear, fuselage underside, propeller, and the engine was shock-loaded. The pilot reported no injuries.
Probable Cause
The pilot attributed the cause of the accident to a combination of strong wind, slight "over flare", and a momentary lapse in concentration.