Accident Details
On 16 October 2009 at 1426 UTC, a Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee, registration G-LFSG, sustained damage during landing at Caernarfon Airport, Gwynedd. The aircraft was manufactured in 1970 and powered by a single Lycoming O-360-A4A piston engine. The flight was private, with one crew member (the pilot) and three passengers on board. No injuries occurred to any occupants.
Sequence of Events
The pilot planned to land on Runway 02 but was informed by radio that the active runway had changed to Runway 08 due to an incident. This required a landing with a crosswind of approximately 12 kt. The pilot decided to carry out a flapless landing. The aircraft was approximately 40 kg below the Maximum Landing Weight.
To achieve separation from a light aircraft ahead, the pilot extended the downwind leg, resulting in a long and flat approach over the sea. As the aircraft reached the coast, it encountered some sink. Despite the pilot applying power and raising the aircraft's nose, the landing gear brushed the top of a shingle bank, and the aircraft subsequently struck a barbed wire airport boundary fence.
Damage
The aircraft landed safely on the runway but incurred damage that made it unfit for further flight. Damage included dents in the right aileron, lower wing surface, and horizontal stabiliser; both wheel spats were also damaged.
Pilot Information
The pilot, aged 80, held a National Private Pilot's Licence and had a total flying experience of 6,866 hours, of which 1,608 hours were on the Piper PA-28-180 type. In the last 90 days, he had flown 3 hours; in the last 28 days, 1 hour.
Source
This article is based on the UK AAIB Bulletin 2/2010 (ref. EW/G2009/10/09).