What happened
On 27 October 2005, a Piper PA-38-112, registration G-OATS, was conducting a private flight at Sheffield City Airport. While flying the circuit for Runway 10, the pilot encountered southerly winds of 8 to 10 knots accompanied by turbulence during the base and final approach legs. During the initial approach, the pilot overshot the centerline and subsequently decided to perform a go-around at 400 ft.
On the second attempt, the pilot maintained a wide turn onto final approach but managed to regain the extended centerline. Due to the turbulent conditions, the pilot elected to use only the first stage of flaps. As the aircraft entered the flare, the airspeed increased to between 85 and 90 knots, which was higher than the standard approach speed of 70 knots. The aircraft made contact with the runway, resulting in a hard landing on the main gear followed by a bounce. The aircraft bounced two additional times, and during the third bounce, the nose landing gear collapsed. The aircraft was damaged beyond economic repair, though the pilot and one passenger were able to exit the aircraft without injury.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report form provided by the pilot. Investigators examined the flight sequence, the atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident, and the pilot's configuration of the aircraft's flaps and airspeed during the landing phase.