Date:	Monday 7 August 2023
Time:	day
Type:	Piper PA-28R-200 Cherokee Arrow II,
Owner/operator:	Wolfram Research Europe Ltd
Registration:	G-BBDE
MSN:	28R-7335250
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Enstone Airfield, Banbury Road, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Enstone Airfield (EGTN)
Destination airport:	Bourn Airport (EGSN)

Narrative:
Piper PA-28R-200 Cherokee Arrow II G-BBDE: Substantially damaged 7-8-2023 in a landing accident at Enstone Airfield, Banbury Road, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. The incident was the subject of an AAIB Correspondence-only report, published on 12-10-2023, and the following is the summary from the report:

"At approx 3,000 ft in the climb after takeoff, the nose cowling opened and began flapping in the airflow. The pilot returned to the departure airfield but omitted to lower the landing gear before the aircraft touched down on the runway. The pilot considered that he had been distracted by the loose cowling and that this contributed to him not lowering the landing gear."

The incident was also picked up and reported by the "Witney Gazette" on 12 October 2023 (see link #1):

"A plane crash landed after the 'distracted' pilot forgot to lower the landing gear, according to a new report.

At approximately 3,000 feet in the climb after take-off from Enstone Airfield, near Chipping Norton, the nose cowling of the Piper PA-28R-200-2 G-BBDE opened and began flapping in the airflow.

The pilot returned to the departure airfield but forgot to lower the landing gear before the aircraft touched down on the runway.

"The pilot considered that he had been distracted by the loose cowling and that this contributed to him not lowering the landing gear", said the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) report into the incident which happened on August 7.

It was classified as being ‘record only’ meaning it is one that if investigated fully has little likelihood of identifying new safety lessons that will advance aviation safety".

Piper PA-28R-200 Cherokee Arrow II G-BBDE was first UK registered on 18-7-1973. It was briefly re-registered in Eire between 12-2-1974 and 23-7-1974 as EI-EDR, Becoming G-BBDE again on 23-7-1974. At the time of the above incident, this aircraft was with its 18th owner "from new"

1. Witney Gazette 12 October 2023: https://www.witneygazette.co.uk/news/23851349.pilot-forgets-lower-landing-gear-oxfordshire-airfield/
2. AAIB Correspondence-only report, published on 12-10-2023: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/aaib-record-only-investigations-reviewed-july-august-2023/aaib-record-only-investigations-reviewed-july-august-2023
3.https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-BBDE-1.pdf
4. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-BBDE-2.pdf
5. https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/g-bbde
6. https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/G-BBDE.html
7. https://www.radarbox.com/data/registration/G-BBDE
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enstone_Airfield#Current_use

Piper PA-28R-200 Cherokee Arrow II G-BBDE at Sleap Airfield, Shropshire 7-8-2020

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
14-Oct-2023 07:17	Dr. John Smith	Added
14-Oct-2023 17:26	Dr. John Smith	Updated