History of the Flight
The aircraft, a Piper PA-32R-300 Cherokee Lance (registration G-BTCA), departed from Jersey with the pilot and three passengers, bound for Alderney. En route, the aircraft climbed to approximately 950 ft on QNH, having been instructed by Jersey Tower to remain below 1,000 ft. Control was transferred to Guernsey ATC. Some stratus cloud obscured Alderney until the aircraft was about 5 nm from the island. The pilot reported visual contact and was handed to Alderney Tower, which requested a left base join for Runway 26.
The pilot slowed to 129 kt, lowered the landing gear, increased engine power to 20 inches of manifold pressure, then reduced airspeed to 120 kt and extended two stages of flap. He initiated a descending left turn with back pressure to reduce the rate of descent. During the turn, the right wing suddenly lifted and the nose rose higher than expected. The stall warning horn sounded, and the airspeed indicator showed 60 kt. The pilot lowered the nose and added power, which stopped the horn but the controls felt “sloppy.” The stall warning then sounded again; the pilot pushed the nose further down and applied full power. Despite this, the aircraft continued to turn left. The pilot regained partial control and raised the nose just before the aircraft struck the ground short and slightly left of the runway threshold.
Post-Accident Events
After coming to rest, a rear passenger reported a fire on the left side. The pilot observed two small fires—one near the left wing root and another outboard of the outer fuel tank. All four occupants evacuated: the rear passengers exited via the left rear door (one with a knee injury required assistance), and the front seat passenger used the right forward door. The pilot turned off fuel and electrical services, collected the fire extinguisher, and left the aircraft. The landing gear had collapsed, and the left wing was broken in two parts. The pilot extinguished the fire, but it reignited after the extinguisher was exhausted. The aircraft was largely burnt out before fire and rescue services arrived.
Injuries and Damage
The pilot and three passengers sustained minor injuries. The aircraft suffered impact damage and severe fire damage to the left wing.
Weather and Environmental Factors
The airfield log recorded wind from 190° at 6 kt, with few clouds at 500 ft. As the aircraft approached, conditions were revised to scattered clouds at 200 ft due to a bank of sea fog rolling in from the south, which temporarily obscured the pilot’s view of the airfield. Witnesses observed the aircraft pass through the runway centreline during the turn onto final approach, and the bank angle increased as the pilot apparently attempted to correct the track.
The UK Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) chart for Alderney (field elevation 290 ft) carries a warning about turbulence from nearby cliffs, a caution also included in the airfield guide used by the pilot. The pilot had flown to Alderney many times over approximately fifteen years.
Pilot Information
The commander held a Private Pilot’s Licence, was aged 59, and had 875 flying hours total, of which 640 were on the accident type. In the last 90 days he flew 12 hours, and in the last 28 days, 6 hours.
The pilot attributed the accident to a sudden gust of wind or a thermal. The AAIB discussion noted that the low cloud may have caused a temporary loss of visual contact during the base leg, possibly leading the aircraft to pass through the extended centreline, and the pilot's response to tighten the turn may have raised the stalling speed such that a gust could have precipitated a stall.