AAIB investigation to Piper PA-38-112 Tomahawk, G-OEDB
Departed the runway on landing at Tatenhill Airfield, Staffordshire, 28 June 2018.
Summary:
The student pilot was briefed by an instructor to carry out a cross-country flight from Hawarden Airport to Tatenhill and then Shobdon Aerodromes before returning to Hawarden. The flight to Tatenhill was uneventful and the aircraft was positioned for Runway 08. The weather was good with no wind and an OAT of 32˚C. On the final approach, the aircraft was at 70 KIAS, with a steady rate of descent and configured with two stages of flap. At about 50 ft agl, power was reduced to idle and the flare commenced but the aircraft sank and bounced off the runway, ballooned and bounced a second time. The pilot increased power to go around but the aircraft seemed unresponsive, so power was cut again. The pilot attempted to keep the aircraft straight whilst reducing speed, but it veered to the left and departed the runway onto the grass.
The pilot switched off the fuel and electrics and exited the aircraft unassisted, although the airfield RFFS had attended. The pilot considered that the lack of wind, high OAT and weight of the aircraft contributed to the incident, and the aircraft was unresponsive and without enough power to go around.
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