Circumstances
On Sunday, 1 August 1999, in the late afternoon, a private pilot accompanied by two passengers departed from Môtiers aerodrome in a Piper PA-28-236 Dakota, registration HB-PDV, for a flight to Bex. The landing there was normal. After a short stop, the aircraft took off at 1754 local time for the return flight.
On arrival at Môtiers, the pilot flew over the aerodrome from the south. Detecting a light crosswind from the southeast, he selected runway 23. During the final turn, he extended full flaps and noted that the wind, still perpendicular to the runway, had increased slightly.
The aircraft touched down approximately 50 meters past the runway threshold, then bounced before landing heavily on the nose wheel. The pilot applied wheel brakes but could not decelerate sufficiently. Shortly before the end of the runway, he attempted to turn left by applying strong rudder input, but without success. The aircraft left the grass strip, crossed a path bordering the runway, and came to a stop in a stream bed.
The aircraft was damaged, but its occupants were uninjured.
Established Facts
- The pilot held a valid private pilot license.
- The aircraft had a valid certificate of airworthiness.
- The aircraft's mass and balance were within prescribed limits.
- Weather conditions were good.
- Môtiers aerodrome has a grass runway measuring 566 x 30 meters; the usable landing distance for runway 23 is 506 meters.
- The impact mark of the nose wheel from the bounce was found approximately at mid-runway; debris from the nose wheel fairing lay on both sides of the mark. First contact marks of the landing gear were visible near the runway beginning.
- The pilot reported no technical problems during the flight.
- A post-accident check of the wheel brakes showed they functioned normally.
Analysis
The fact that the aircraft—after touching down about 50 meters past the threshold, bouncing, and then making a hard contact with the ground approximately 200 meters further—could not be stopped within the aerodrome perimeter indicates that the descent profile during the final approach was not stabilized. This instability manifested as excessive speed at the threshold combined with a high descent rate, likely due to a flare initiated too late.
Probable Cause
The accident was probably the consequence of an unstabilized approach and the continuation of the landing after a bounce.