Incident Overview
On 19 July 2003 at 1530 hours, a Piper PA-38-112 Tomahawk, registration G-RECS, was involved in an incident while landing at Beverley Airfield, Humberside. The aircraft was manufactured in 1981 and powered by a single Lycoming O-235-L2C piston engine. The flight was conducted under a Private Pilot's Licence, with the sole pilot and one passenger on board. No injuries were reported. Damage was limited to the landing gear, propeller, and engine.
Pilot Information
The commander, aged 40, held a Private Pilot's Licence and had accumulated 185 total flying hours, of which 181 were on the Piper PA-38-112 Tomahawk type. He had flown no hours in the previous 90 days or 28 days.
Sequence of Events
According to the pilot's report, the approach was to grass Runway 12. The surface wind was 220° at 11 knots. While crossing the displaced threshold at an altitude of 15 to 20 feet above ground level, the aircraft descended rapidly and contacted the ground on all three wheels. It then bounced back into the air in a nose-high attitude. The pilot initiated a go-around. During this maneuver, the right wing lifted, the aircraft veered to the left, and the left wing struck the ground, immediately followed by the nose.
Pilot Commentary
The pilot noted that he may have been too slow during the approach. He recalled hearing the stall warning after the initial ground contact.
Damage Assessment
Post-incident inspection revealed damage to the landing gear, propeller, and engine. No further details on the extent of damage were provided in the report.
Information Source
All details in this article are derived from the AAIB Bulletin No. 9/2003, reference EW/G2003/07/21, based on the Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot.