Date:	Friday 30 September 2016
Time:	14:43 UTC
Type:	Piper PA-28-151 Cherokee Warrior
Owner/operator:	London School of Flying Ltd
Registration:	G-CCZV
MSN:	28-7715089
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Minor
Category:	Accident
Location:	near Elstree Aerodrome, Hogg Lane, Elstree, Borehamwood, Herts. -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	Leicester Airport (EGBG)
Destination airport:	Elstree Airport (EGTR)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
A Piper PA-28-151 Cherokee Warrior, G-CCZV and a Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior III, G-BZBS were involved in a mid-air collision near Elstree Aerodrome, Hertfordshire.

The pilot of G-CCZV was a student on a navigation exercise flying from Leicester Airport to Elstree Aerodrome. He was heading towards Elstree Aerodrome which he could see in what he described as excellent visibility. Near the junction of the M1 and M25 motorways, at approximately 2,000 ft (using a pressure setting of 1010 hPa), he contacted Elstree Information on the radio and, after receiving instructions to join for Runway 26, looked inside the cockpit to set the QFE (999 hPa) on the altimeter.

While his attention was inside the cockpit, he heard a “substantial thump” to the left wing of his aircraft and saw a “flash” of an aircraft passing by. He realised that he had been involved in a collision but the aircraft
and engine appeared to be performing normally and he continued to Elstree and landed.
After landing, damage was observed to the left landing gear, wheel and tyre

G-BZBS’s propeller blade struck G-CCZV’s left wheel and tyre and G-CCZV’s left tyre then struck the upper surface of G-BZBS’s wing. The tracks of the aircraft were approximately 148ºM (G-CCZV) and 274ºM (G-BZBS)
giving a closing angle of approximately 54º which, given that the aircraft were flying straight and level at constant speed and altitude, would have remained constant in the lead-up to the collision. Neither pilot saw the other aircraft in time to take avoiding action. It is likely that the poor into-sun visibility, the constant angle between the tracks of the aircraft, and the fact that the attention of both pilots was inside their respective cockpits before the collision, contributed to the breakdown of the see-and-avoid principle for flight in
Class G (uncontrolled) airspace

=Damage to airframe=
Per the AAIB report above "Damaged left landing gear wheel, tyre and fairing"

NOTE: Although not explicitly stated, "the junction of the M1 and M25 motorways" referred to above puts the point of impact just to the north-west of Bricket Wood, Hertfordshire, which is close to Junction 6A of the M1 Motorway, and Junction 21A of the M25, approximately 7 miles North West of Elstree Aerodrome

1. AAIB Final Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/58c11d86e5274a2a5f000128/Piper_PA-28-151_G-CCZV_and_Piper_PA-28-161_G-BZBS_03-17.pdf
2. https://oy-reg.dk/register/1550.html
3. https://www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/SE-GNY/973234
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bricket_Wood
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elstree_Aerodrome

G-CCZV was built in 1977, and was first registered in Sweden as SE-CNY on 26.4.1977. It was re-registered in Denmark as OY-CHR on 17.6.1994. It was first UK registered as G-CCZV on 7 July 2004, and was with its fifth UK-registered owner since.

Piper PA-28-151 Cherokee Warrior G-CCZV at Elstree,Hertfordshire (EGTR) 7 August 2016

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
03-Apr-2024 17:07	Dr. John Smith	Added
03-Apr-2024 17:09	ASN	Updated [Narrative, Accident report]