AAIB investigation to Piper PA 32R-301T, N88NA
Nose landing gear collapsed on soft ground, White Waltham Airfield, Berkshire, 18 May 2017.
Summary:
The aircraft was being taxied from its grass parking position to a hangar at White Waltham Airfield, via a newly built concrete apron. As N88NA approached the apron’s east side, its nose landing gear sunk into soft ground immediately adjacent to the concrete, and collapsed. The propeller then struck the concrete.
The pilot reported that he discovered after the accident that entry to the apron was permitted from the west side only. He reported that the east side had originally been marked as unusable with orange gates. However, due to on-going ground-work, a marker had been removed leading him to believe that entry to the concrete was permitted at that location.
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