What happened
On 22 October 2011, a Piper PA-28-181, registration N4144N, was performing a private flight when it experienced an excursion during landing at Alderney Airport. While touching down on the asphalt runway 08, the aircraft bounced and subsequently drifted toward the left side of the runway centerline.
During this drift, the aircraft struck a wooden fence post. As the pilot attempted to correct the path by applying heavy right rudder and right-side braking to execute a 180-degree turn, the aircraft touched down a second time. On this second contact, the left mainwheel collided with a runway edge light. This impact caused the left brake to become inoperative and resulted in a dent to the left wing. The aircraft eventually came to a halt, and both the pilot and the passenger exited the cabin through the door without injury.
The investigation
Investigators examined the environmental conditions and the aircraft's handling during the landing phase. At the time of the incident, the reported wind was 170° at 14 knots, with gusts reaching 17 knots. The investigation also reviewed the aircraft's technical specifications, noting that the maximum demonstrated crosswind limit for this model is 17 knots.
Findings
- The aircraft drifted left of the runway centerline following an initial bounce during touchdown.
- The collision with a runway edge light caused damage to the left wing and rendered the left brake inoperative.
- The pilot was unable to control the leftward drift following the initial touchdown.