What happened
On 17 June 2003, a Piper PA-3-200T Seneca II, registration N39605, was conducting a private flight at Redhill Aerodrome in Surrey. During the landing phase, the pilot performed a visual circuit and a standard approach, confirming that the landing gear and flaps were in the extended position.
As the aircraft touched down on the grass runway, it encountered a slight up-slope. The aircraft ballooned during the landing sequence, and the pilot was unable to stabilize the aircraft before it descended again. This second contact with the surface occurred in a nose-down and right-wing-down attitude. During this maneuver, the right-hand propeller struck the runway surface.
The investigation
Investigators reviewed the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot, alongside occurrence reports from Air Traffic Control and discussions with local engineers and repair agencies. Air traffic control personnel observed that the aircraft experienced several heavy bounces during the landing process.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the right-hand propeller, which resulted in the engine being shock loaded.
- Structural damage included wrinkling of the skin on the underside of both wings and the lower sides of the forward fuselage, as well as damage to the nose-leg and forward bulkhead.
- The aircraft bounced heavily several times upon touchdown due to the pilot's failure to recover from the initial ballooning effect.