What happened
On 12 August 2001, a Piper PA-32-300, registration G-OSCC, was performing a private flight into Fairoaks Airport, Surrey. The aircraft was carrying one pilot and three passengers. During the approach to Runway 24, the pilot noted that the aircraft was too low on short finals. In an attempt to correct the glide path, the pilot increased engine power to reduce the rate of descent.
The aircraft crossed the runway threshold at an altitude of approximately 50 feet above ground level. At this stage, the aircraft was in a shallow descent but maintained a pitch attitude greater than normal. As the pilot subsequently reduced power, the aircraft experienced a high sink rate. This resulted in a heavy touchdown followed by a bounce before the aircraft finally came to rest on the runway. There were no fatalities and no injuries to the occupants.
The investigation
Following the incident, the aircraft was inspected for damage. The investigation established that the aircraft's right wing spar had sustained substantial damage. The pilot provided information regarding the flight profile and noted that, in hindsight, a go-around should have been executed rather than attempting to continue the landing approach.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating in good weather conditions with a surface wind of 230°/10 to 15 kt.
- The pilot's decision to increase power on short finals to compensate for low altitude led to an unstable approach characterized by an unusual pitch attitude.
- The reduction of power during the final stages of the approach caused a high sink rate, leading to the heavy impact and subsequent bounce.