What happened
On 6 January 2003, a Piper PA-28R-201 Cherokee Arrow III, registration G-MEME, was performing a private circuit and landing at Bodmin Airfield, Cornwall. During the downwind leg of the circuit, the pilot communicated his position via radio but failed to include the landing gear selection in his checklist.
As the aircraft transitioned to the base leg, the pilot extended the flaps to 25 degrees. Upon reaching the final approach, an attempt was made to extend the flaps to the full 40-degree position. However, the flap lever failed to latch in the full position and instead reverted to 10 degrees. Despite subsequent attempts to secure the 25-degree setting, the pilot was unable to achieve the desired configuration. During the flare, the aircraft floated further down the runway than anticipated, eventually making contact with the ground on the underside of the fuselage. The aircraft slid along the grass runway before coming to a stop. There were no injuries to the pilot, though the aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, engine, flaps, and the underside of the fuselage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the pilot's cockpit procedures and the mechanical failure of the flap lever. It was established that the pilot had been preoccupied with the malfunctioning flap lever, which led to a distraction during the critical approach phase. This distraction caused the pilot to omit the landing gear check from his downwind leg procedures.
Furthermore, the investigation examined the aircraft's landing gear warning system, which is designed to activate a horn and a red warning light if the gear is not down and locked while power is reduced or flaps are extended. The pilot did not report hearing any such warning during the flight. The serviceability of this warning system was scheduled to be verified during the aircraft's repair process.