What happened
On 27 August 2007, a Piper Pa-28-180 Cherokee, registration G-AVNU, was performing a private flight when it experienced an excursion during landing at Lydd Airport, Kent. Shortly after the aircraft touched down on the asphalt of Runway 03, the aircraft began to swing to the left, causing the right wing to lift. The aircraft continued this 180-degree turn, eventually leaving the paved surface and running onto the adjacent grass area.
At the time of the incident, the surface wind was recorded at 330 degrees at 8 knots. There were no injuries to the pilot or the single passenger on board, and both occupants were able to exit the aircraft through the standard exits.
The investigation
Following the incident, the aircraft sustained damage including a bent lower nose oleo and a small crack on one torque link. During the investigation, the pilot initially suspected that a failure of the nose gear might have been the primary cause of the excursion. However, a subsequent inspection conducted by a maintenance company found no evidence of any pre-existing defects in the landing gear assembly.