What happened
On 29 June 2010, a Piper PA-28R-201 Cherokee Arrow III, registration G-WAMS, was involved in an accident at Stapleford Airfield, Essex, during a flight training skills test. The flight involved an examiner and a candidate, with the candidate occupying the left seat. During the flight, the crew performed various checks, including FREDA (Fuel, Radio, Engine, Direction Indicator, and Altimeter) procedures.
As part of the final element of the test, the candidate was required to demonstrate a flapless landing on Runway 22L. The aircraft joined the left base leg in a clean configuration with the landing gear retracted. The approach was executed with a low power setting and an indicated airspeed of 80 knots, following a steeper-than-normal descent. While the aircraft flared at the expected height, it subsequently sank onto the runway while the landing gear remained in the retracted position. The impact caused damage to the engine, propeller, and the underside of the fuselage due to shock loading.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report form provided by the pilot. Investigators examined the landing gear audio warning system to determine if the crew had been alerted to the gear's status. Post-accident functional checks confirmed that the audio warning system was operating correctly and that the warning had been heard during stall recovery maneuvers earlier in the flight. However, the investigation established that the necessary checks of the landing gear during the initial and final approach phases had not been carried out by the crew.