Introduction
On 19 March 2014 at 1200 UTC, a Piper PA-28-181 Cherokee Archer II, registration G-BHWZ, was involved in a landing accident at Compton Abbas Airfield in Dorset. The aircraft was manufactured in 1978 and powered by a single Lycoming O-360-A4M piston engine. The flight was a private operation with only the pilot on board, who held a Private Pilot's Licence and had 419 hours of total flying experience, including 85 hours on type. His recent flying activity included 5 hours in the last 90 days and 3 hours in the last 28 days.
Flight Details
The pilot reported that weather conditions at the time were fine, with a light westerly wind. He flew a normal approach with full flap and achieved a smooth touchdown approximately 100 meters beyond the runway numbers on the grass Runway 26.
Landing and Aftermath
During the rollout, the aircraft suddenly pitched nose-up, followed by three further pitch oscillations of decreasing severity. The pilot described the motion as similar to encountering a bump and speculated that an unseen undulation associated with a footpath crossing the runway may have contributed to the event. The aircraft sustained damage to its nosewheel spat and propeller. The pilot was uninjured.
Investigation
The information for this report was obtained from an Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot. No official probable cause was determined by the investigating authority.