Accident Details
On 31 August 2006 at 1739 hours UTC, a private Piper PA-28RT-201T Cherokee Arrow IV, registration N2CL, operated by a pilot with a Private Pilot's Licence and 1,590 hours total flying experience (691 on type), was landing at Frensham Airstrip in Churt, Surrey, after an uneventful flight from France. The aircraft had two passengers; the pilot and passengers reported no injuries.
Approach and Landing
The approach was to Runway 25, an airstrip the pilot had used since 1979. The airstrip is 1,000 metres long with a short grass surface that was dry at the time. Weather conditions were described as good, with a forecast surface wind of 220° at 12 knots, gusting to 24 knots.
The Accident
Just before touch-down, the aircraft drifted to the right. As the pilot flared, he became aware of the stall warning sounding. The aircraft continued to drift right, and the right wing tip contacted a maize crop bordering the edge of the airstrip. The aircraft swung through almost 90° to the right and came to rest in the crop with the left main landing gear collapsed. Damage was extensive to the left wing and left main landing gear.
Pilot's Assessment
The pilot considered that a gust of wind had caused the drift to the right but acknowledged that, having returned to his home airstrip after a few days abroad, he may have relaxed and suffered a momentary lapse of concentration.