Accident Synopsis
On 11 October 2007 at 1013 UTC, a Piper PA-38-112 Tomahawk (registration G-BLWP) was operating a circuit training flight from Runway 04 at Hawarden Airfield, near Chester. The aircraft was powered by one Lycoming O-235-L2C piston engine and was manufactured in 1978.
Aircraft and Crew Information
The aircraft carried a crew of two: an instructor and a student pilot. The student pilot, aged 76, had accumulated over 70 flying hours and had last flown ten days before the accident. The instructor, aged 30, held a Commercial Pilot's Licence with 887 total flying hours, including 467 hours on type. The student's handling was judged to be of a good standard but inconsistent, and he had not yet flown solo.
Accident Sequence
The flight was a circuit training detail. The approach to Runway 04 was stable, with a light and variable surface wind. The instructor noted that the aircraft was only slightly fast as it crossed the threshold. As the student pilot flared for landing, the aircraft ballooned, a situation that had also occurred on the previous landing. On that occasion, the student had corrected the balloon using power, so the instructor did not immediately take control. However, this time the student did not take the correct action, and the aircraft landed heavily before the instructor could intervene. After a short landing roll, the nosewheel leg collapsed. The instructor shut down the engine, but not before the propeller struck the runway, causing additional damage to the propeller, engine, and cowlings.
Injuries and Damage
The aircraft came to rest upright on the runway. Both occupants, wearing lap straps and diagonal shoulder harnesses, vacated via the left and right doors and were uninjured. The damage consisted of a collapsed nosewheel, and damage to the propeller and engine.
The weather conditions were suitable for the exercise.