AAIB investigation to Piper PA-28-181 Cherokee Archer II, G-OPET
Runway excursion on landing, Cardiff Airport, 4 December 2018.
Summary:
Whilst landing on Runway 12 at Cardiff Airport, the aircraft drifted left and departed the paved surface onto the grass, damaging the nose landing gear. The weather conditions were reported as good and the wind was variable at 3 kt.
The pilot was able to taxi the aircraft back onto the runway, but when he attempted to vacate it at Taxiway G, he found he could not turn the aircraft left. He shut the aircraft down and the airport fire service manually handled it to the apron.
The pilot reported that, as he closed the throttle and flared, the aircraft drifted left. He tried to correct the drift with rudder, but the aircraft had departed the runway before he managed to straighten it.
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