Synopsis
On 8 April 2001 at approximately 1240 hours UTC, a Piper PA-28-201T, registration G-DDAY, was involved in an incident at Tatenhill Airfield, north-west of Leicester. The aircraft was being operated on a private flight under the command of a 58-year-old pilot holding a Private Pilot's Licence. The pilot was the sole occupant and was not injured. The aircraft sustained very slight damage to its propeller.
Sequence of Events
The aircraft was backtracking Runway 26 after moving from the parking area to the tower apron. During the taxi, the pilot observed another aircraft approaching to land on the same runway. In order to expedite clearance from the runway, the pilot increased taxi speed. Upon reaching the turn-off to the apron, the pilot applied brakes but was unable to reduce speed sufficiently to complete the turn. The aircraft departed the runway at the threshold and came to a halt in a ploughed field just beyond the airfield boundary. The soft ground caused the aircraft to sink, resulting in slight damage to the propeller. No other damage was reported.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a Piper PA-28-201T, manufactured in 1977, powered by a single Continental TSIO-360-F piston engine.
Pilot Information
The commander was 58 years old and held a Private Pilot's Licence. His total flying experience was 534 hours, of which 75 were on type. He had flown no hours in the preceding 90 days, including the last 28 days.
Damage
The incident resulted in very slight damage to the propeller. The airframe was otherwise undamaged.
Investigation Source
Information for this article was derived from the AAIB Bulletin No. 8/2001, reference EW/G2001/04/03, based on the Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot.