What happened
On 19 June 1998, a Piper PA-38-112, registration G-BTAR, was conducting a private training flight from Halfpenny Green to Liverpool Airport. During the approach to runway 09, the aircraft encountered a surface wind of 170°/12 kt.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft experienced a bounce. During this phase of the landing, the aircraft rolled to the left, causing the left wingtip to make contact with the ground. The aircraft subsequently drifted off the runway onto the grass area, where the nose landing gear collapsed. There were no injuries to the student pilot, and the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the propeller, the left wing, and the nose landing gear.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report form provided by the pilot. The inquiry focused on the flight dynamics during the landing phase and the impact of the wind conditions on the aircraft's stability. The investigation established that the student pilot was operating the aircraft within its permitted crosswind limits at the time of the incident.