Incident Overview
On 18 January 2000, at approximately 1515 UTC, a Piper PA-28-161, registration G-BSBA, was involved in a ground collision with a perimeter fence at Dunkeswell Aerodrome in Devon. The aircraft, manufactured in 1980 and powered by a single Lycoming O-320-D3G piston engine, was being operated on a private flight with one pilot and three passengers on board. No injuries were reported among the occupants.
Pilot Information
The pilot, aged 78, held a Private Pilot's Licence and had accumulated 781 flying hours, of which 98 were on the accident aircraft type. In the 90 days preceding the incident, he had flown 3 hours, with 1 hour in the last 28 days.
Sequence of Events
The pilot intended to backtrack Runway 05 at Dunkeswell. Before entering the runway, he broadcast his intentions on the radio and visually checked for circuit traffic, observing none. He reported that visibility was generally good, except when looking down the runway, where it was very poor due to the setting sun.
After entering the runway, the pilot taxied slowly toward the western end. He then heard an aircraft make a 'finals' call. In response, he increased taxi speed to an estimated 25 to 30 mph. Forward visibility remained poor, requiring him to use the runway edge for reference. When he saw the perimeter fence beyond the far end of the runway, he applied the brakes but was unable to stop the aircraft before it struck the fence.
Aircraft Damage
The collision caused dented leading edges on both wings and slight damage to the propeller.
Source
Information for this article was derived from the UK AAIB Bulletin No. 4/2000, reference EW/G2000/01/12, based on an Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot.