History of the Flight
On 14 November 2013 at 1725 UTC, a Piper PA-28R-180 Cherokee Arrow (registration G-AVWO) was on a private flight from Biggin Hill to Shoreham Airport. The pilot, the sole occupant, held a Private Pilot's Licence with IMC and Night ratings and had 373 hours of total flying experience, including 251 hours on type.
The pilot received instructions from Shoreham ATC for a right base join for Runway 02. The wind was reported as 320° at 10 kt. The descent and approach were normal, but the pilot later stated that he misjudged the flare and landed the aircraft "very heavily" on the asphalt runway surface. The aircraft handled normally on the ground, and the pilot did not consider that any damage had occurred.
After parking, the pilot paid landing fees and booked out for the return trip. The pre-flight check included a visual inspection of the landing gear by torchlight; no damage was observed.
Subsequent Flight and Gear Issue
The aircraft took off normally. When the pilot operated the gear retraction lever, the 'gear in transit' light illuminated as usual, but the landing gear would not lock into the up position. The gear was recycled multiple times without success. The pilot elected to continue the flight with the gear down and made an uneventful landing at Biggin Hill.
Inspection and Damage
An inspection conducted by a maintenance organisation revealed visible damage to the upper surface of the left wing, along with damage to a wing rib and web within the landing gear well.
Pilot's Comment
The pilot attributed the heavy landing to a false height perception caused by the significant difference in runway width between Shoreham (18 m) and Biggin Hill (45 m). He noted that he had been aware of this difference during pre-flight preparations and had made previous night training flights to Shoreham.