Date:	Saturday 17 June 1989
Time:	11:45
Type:	Piper PA-17 Vagabond
Owner/operator:	Trustee of: The RFC Flying Group
Registration:	G-ALIJ
MSN:	17-166
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Popham Airfield, Coxford Down, Winchester, Hampshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Popham Airfield, Coxford Down, Winchester, Hampshire (EGHP)
Destination airport:	Popham Airfield, Coxford Down, Winchester, Hampshire (EGHP)

Narrative:
On the morning of 17 June 1989 Piper Vagabond G-ALIJ was making a glide approach to land at Popham Airfield, Coxford Down, Winchester, Hampshire. Even though he felt that the approach was on the low side, the pilot did not apply power and the air speed decayed. At about ten feet over the runway threshold, the pilot lowered the nose and the Vagabond descended rapidly. The pilot sought, unsuccessfully, to counter this by opening the throttle and raising the nose but, still, he landed heavily and bounced. What he did not realise was that the contact was so heavy as to fracture the port undercarriage leg of the Vagabond - something of which he became aware when, shortly thereafter, the Vagabond returned to the ground.

He made a three point landing but a few seconds later the Vagabond slewed to port. The application of the toe brakes and full opposite rudder and aileron had no effect and eventually the port wing dropped and made contact with the ground, swinging the Vagabond further to port before it came to a halt. Neither the pilot nor the passenger were injured and both were able to exit the Vagabond without difficulty or assistance. In addition to its port undercarriage leg fracturing and collapsing, its wing bracing strut and propeller tips were bent. The pilot attributed the cause of the accident to allowing his airspeed to decay excessively on approach and having a 'heavier than normal' passenger on board!

Damage Sustained to airframe
Per the AAIB report "left landing gear collapsed, propeller tips bent, and wing bracing strut bent". The aircraft was repaired and returned to service, being damaged in a later Incident at Brimpton Airfield, Berkshire 4 May 1998.

1. AAIB Report dated 10 December 2014: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f43ee5274a13170004fd/Piper_PA17__G-ALIJ_08-89.pdf
2. https://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=19215.0
3. https://www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/G-ALIJ/804049
4. https://airport-data.com/aircraft/G-ALIJ.html
5. https://airport-data.com/aircraft/N4866H.html
6. FAA US Registry: https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N4866H
7. Later Incident at Brimpton Airfield, Berkshire 4 May 1998 (AAIB Report): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f9c4ed915d137400076d/dft_avsafety_pdf_502458.pdf
8. Later Incident at Brimpton Airfield, Berkshire 4 May 1998 (ASN Entry): https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/wiki.php?id=1071
9. Original (Cancelled) 1949 Allocation: https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-ALIJX.pdf
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popham_Airfield

Built 1949. Previously registered in the United States as N4866H. First registered in the UK as G-ALIJ on 13 February 1987. Note that G-ALIJ was an "in-period" registration originally allocated to (but not taken up) by a Short S.45 Seaford (MSN S.1292) on 17 February 1949 which was intended to be a civilian conversion of Short Sunderland NJ200 (C of R 12569/1). The original allocation was cancelled 31 October 1949

As G-ALIJ this Piper PA-17 Vagabond passed through the hands of four owners between 13 February 1987 and 12 November 2019. This incident was at the time that G-ALIJ was with its 1sy UK owner (17 February 1987 to 9 January 1992). The aircraft was repaired after this incident and returned to service, being damaged in a later Incident at Brimpton Airfield, Berkshire 4 May 1998.

Other occurrences involving this aircraft


21 August 2019

G-ALIJ

Trustee of: Hampshire Flying Group

0

Shoreham (Brighton City) Airport, Lancing, West Sussex

sub

G-ALIJ: Piper PA-17 Vagabond at Wroughton, near Swindon, Wiltshire April 1991

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
20-Sep-2024 06:55	Dr. John Smith	Added