What happened
On 8 October 1998, a Piper PA-38-112, registration G-BRHT, was completing a Qualifying Cross Country flight as part of a student pilot's training for a Private Pilot's Licence. While returning to Liverpool Airport, the pilot encountered high levels of radio traffic due to ongoing construction work on the airfield and a busy period of aircraft movements.
During the approach, the pilot was issued an instruction to proceed to the east bank of the Mersey and then to turn final as the first aircraft in the sequence. The controller requested that the pilot land long and expedite the clearing of the runway. The pilot informed the controller that, as a student, he had not previously performed such an approach. Due to a 10-knot crosswind that was near the aircraft's operational limits, the pilot maintained an approach speed 10 knots above normal to mitigate potential turbulence.
As the aircraft approached the runway, the pilot experienced increased stress, leading to an early flare. This resulted in a heavy landing and three subsequent bounces. During the instability, the pilot considered a go-around but determined it was unsafe due to the aircraft's position on the runway. The aircraft eventually departed from the left side of the runway before the pilot managed to regain the paved surface and taxi clear. There were no injuries to the pilot, but the aircraft suffered substantial damage to the fuselage structure, propeller, and nose landing gear.
The investigation
The investigation examined the sequence of events leading to the heavy landing and the impact of air traffic control instructions on the pilot's performance. Investigators attempted to review the radio telephony recordings to analyze the communications between the pilot and the tower; however, this aspect of the investigation was inconclusive because the relevant tapes were unavailable due to procedural errors.