Accident to the Piper PA28 registered G-ARYR on 16/06/2022 at Le Touquet

This is a courtesy translation by the BEA of the Final Report on the Safety Investigation. As accurate as the translation may be, the original text in French is the work of reference.

Note: the following information is principally based on the statement made by the pilot. This information has not been independently validated by the BEA.

1. History of the flight

After flying out of Denham aerodrome (UK) under VFR, the pilot was established on final for landing on paved runway 31[1] at Le Touquet-Côte d’Opale airport.

The pilot indicated that the meteorological conditions during the descent were good with a light wind and high clouds, and that the aeroplane’s weight and balance were in the middle of the flight envelope.

He added that on final, with the plane correctly aligned on the runway axis, he anticipated vacating the runway via one of the first taxiways he could see on his left[2] and that he did not want to lose time so he could arrive before the ATC closed, a few minutes later.

The pilot could not explain what happened during the flare and landing manoeuvre which led to the nose gear completely collapsing and sustaining damage. The aeroplane then slid on its nose with the propeller rubbing the ground before coming to a stop on the runway.

2. Additional information

2.1 Pilot information

The 73-year-old British pilot indicated that he had totalled 1,060 flight hours on different aircraft including single-engine piston aeroplanes, twin-engine aeroplanes, gliders and microlights. He stated he had flown 542 hours on the PA28. Before the occurrence flight, he specified that he had flown eight hours in the previous 90 days, all on the PA28, including 0.6 hours in the previous 30 days, during a flight with an instructor.

2.2 Meteorological information

The meteorological reports for Le Touquet-Côte d’Opale airport indicated at 13:30, a north-north-westerly wind of 10 kt and a temperature of 22°C.