What happened
On 16 April 2008, a Piper PA-28-181 Cherokee Archer II, registration G-BHZE, was performing circuit training at White Waltham Airfield in Berkshire. The pilot had completed several successful touch-and-go landings on the grass runway prior to the incident.
During the approach, the aircraft touched down on its main gear but immediately bounced back into the air. This initiated a sequence of five successive touchdowns, each characterized by increasing severity and pitching. Following the first bounce, the pilot applied back pressure to the yoke to attempt to maintain a main-gear-first landing. However, by the second and third bounces, the aircraft' and nose attitude lowered significantly.
During the fourth touchdown, the nose gear leg sheared. On the fifth and final contact, the damaged nose gear leg dug into the ground. The propeller and spinner struck the surface, causing the aircraft to slide approximately 100 to 200 metres along the runway before coming to an abrupt halt. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
Investigators examined the sequence of the landing and the mechanical failure of the landing gear. An eyewitness observed the approach as initially normal, noting that the aircraft bounced approximately 3 to 4 feet after the first contact. The witness observed the nose lowering and noted a significant nosewheel-first contact during the third bounce, followed by visible damage to the nose gear leg.
Review of the flight details confirmed the pilot had maintained a closed throttle throughout the sequence. The investigation established that the nose gear leg failed during the fourth touchdown, which directly led to the final, uncontrolled contact with the ground.