What happened
On 21 March 2009, a Piper PA-28-181 Cherokee Archer II, registration G-TSGJ, was conducting a private flight to Bourne Park, near Andover, Hampshire. The aircraft was carrying the pilot and three passengers. The flight's purpose was to transport a passenger to a local helicopter maintenance facility.
During the approach to Runway 29, the pilot maintained a speed of 65 kt to ensure a slow touchdown, given the aircraft's weight and the runway's negative gradient. While attempting to land, the aircraft crossed a wire fence located approximately 85 metres from the threshold. The aircraft touched down in a deeply rutted area of the undershoot, roughly 75 metres from the threshold and 9 metres inside the fence line. Following the initial contact, the aircraft bounced approximately 100 metres further along the strip. During the subsequent landing attempt, the nosewheel collapsed, leading to a propeller strike and significant structural damage.
There were no fatalities and no injuries to the four occupants.
The investigation
The AAIB examined the aircraft and the landing site. Investigators found physical evidence on the underside of the fuselage that matched a recent mark on the wire fence. The investigation noted that the grass in the undershoot area had not been mown during the winter, making the fence line difficult to distinguish from the runway surface. Additionally, the investigation found that the aircraft's nosewheel bent backwards due to the impact of the initial landing and the uneven ground, which subsequently caused the propeller to hit the earth.
Findings
- The pilot misjudged the touchdown point because the unmaintained grass made the fence line indistinguishable from the runway.
- The aircraft touched down in a heavily rutted section of the undershoot.
- The landing was performed at a speed 15 kt above stall speed, but the pilot's intent was to minimize touchdown speed due to the aircraft's weight.
- The lack of runway identification numbers meant there was no visual aiming point for the touchdown.
- The aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, engine frame, firewall, and nosewheel, with the engine experiencing a shock-load.