What happened
On 25 August 2006, a Piper PA-32R-300 aircraft, registration G-DTCP, was performing a private flight from Cranfield Airport to Farnborough. While taxiing toward holding point A1 for Runway 21, the pilot encountered a sequence of right and left turns on the taxiway. During the transit past the Runway 18 crossing, a GPS assembly detached from the right side of the instrument panel, pulling its associated wiring with it.
In an attempt to prevent the unit from falling, the pilot reached across the right seat to catch the assembly while the aircraft was still moving. This distraction caused the aircraft to drift left of the taxiway centerline. The aircraft subsequently left the paved surface and entered a 'french' drain located alongside the taxiway. The impact with the drain resulted in the nosewheel collapse, leading to damage to the propeller, engine exhaust stubs, and the engine itself due to shockloading.
There were no injuries to the pilot, who was able to exit the aircraft without difficulty.
The investigation
The investigation established that the GPS unit had been secured to the instrument panel using double-sided adhesive tape. It was determined that ambient heat likely caused the tape to soften, which reduced its adhesive strength and allowed the unit to fall. The pilot acknowledged that the attempt to catch the falling equipment while the aircraft was in motion was a significant error in judgment.