Aircraft Information
The aircraft involved was a Piper PA-28R-200, registered G-TORC, manufactured in 1974. It was powered by one Lycoming IO-360-C1C piston engine. The flight was conducted under a National Private Pilot's Licence by a 60-year-old pilot with 238 hours total flying experience, of which 64 hours were on type. In the previous 90 days, the pilot had flown 11 hours, with 6 hours in the last 28 days.
Flight History
On 17 February 2007 at 1315 UTC, the pilot arrived at Sandown Airfield on the Isle of Wight after a cross-country flight from Old Sarum. The airfield's Air/Ground radio operator instructed the pilot to land on the left side of Runway 05 because part of the surface was soft.
During the approach, the radio operator noted that the aircraft appeared high and thought it might overshoot, as a microlight that had landed ahead was just clearing the runway. However, G-TORC touched down approximately 250 m beyond the Runway 05 threshold and immediately began to veer to the left. The pilot applied right rudder, but the aircraft entered rough ground on the left side of the runway. There, it ground looped through 90° to the left and came to rest just off the runway edge. The nose landing gear collapsed during the event.
Occupants and Injuries
The aircraft carried one crew member (the pilot) and three passengers. None of the four occupants reported any injuries. All vacated the aircraft without harm.
Damage
The nose wheel collapsed, the propeller was damaged, and the engine sustained shock loading.
Reported Cause
In his report, the pilot attributed the loss of directional control to the aircraft encountering a combination of soft ground and a deep rut during the landing roll.