Aircraft and Flight Information
The accident involved a Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee, registration G-AXOR, manufactured in 1969. The aircraft was powered by one Lycoming O-360-A4A piston engine. The flight was a private cross-country journey from Redhill, Surrey, to Cromer (Northrepps) Airfield in Norfolk. The pilot held a Private Pilot's Licence, aged 51, with a total flying experience of 343 hours, of which 261 were on type. In the last 90 days, he had flown 7 hours, and in the last 28 days, 3 hours.
Accident Sequence
On 31 May 2003 at approximately 1030 UTC, the pilot conducted an approach to Runway 18. The weather was warm with a light south-easterly wind. After overflying the airfield on a northerly heading, the pilot executed a right descending turn onto final approach. He briefly lost sight of the airfield during the turn, and upon regaining visual contact, realized he was slightly high. He performed pre-landing checks, lowered full flap in stages, and selected carburettor heat to ON. Adjusting the approach, he set about 1,700 RPM and reduced speed to 70 mph, the recommended approach speed.
During the final approach, the aircraft became slightly high on the glide path and appeared to overshoot the ideal landing area. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft began to sink rapidly. Despite applying full power, the pilot could not prevent the aircraft from striking the bank of an elevated road that crossed the approach path just short of the runway threshold. The impact caused all three landing gear to detach. The aircraft slid on its belly for a short distance before coming to a halt on the left side of the runway.
Injuries and Damage
The pilot and two passengers sustained minor injuries. One passenger, seated in the right rear seat, sustained a back injury and was removed by emergency services. The two front seat occupants wore lap and shoulder harnesses; the two rear seat passengers had only lap belts. The aircraft damage included detached landing gear, a buckled structure, and a dented propeller.
Pilot's Assessment
In the pilot's report, he considered the likely cause of the accident to be a downdraft generated by differential heating of the tarmac road and the field short of the runway. He also noted other potential factors: the relatively high gross weight of the aircraft, the need to land close to the runway threshold for landing performance reasons, and the fact that carburettor heat was selected to ON. Additionally, the pilot thought that the injuries to the rear seat passengers might have been reduced if shoulder harnesses had been fitted and used.