What happened
On 18 November 2020, a student pilot was conducting her first solo training flight in a Textron 172P, registration 9M-AZP, at Kota Kinabalu International Airport. The flight was intended to be a single circuit landing under favorable weather conditions.
During the initial approach, the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) instructed the pilot to perform a go-around while at 400 feet above ground level. The pilot was also directed to fly a tight circuit on the aircraft's dead side and hold for approximately 10 minutes. During a subsequent landing attempt, the aircraft bounced, leading to a hard landing. While the pilot successfully landed on a third attempt, the aircraft exhibited vibrations during the taxi back to the apron. Upon inspection, the crew discovered that the nosewheel had burst and noted scrape marks on the lower section of the tailplane.
The investigation
AAIB Malaysia examined the aircraft's maintenance history and physical condition. Records indicated that the nosewheel assembly had been replaced in October 2020 and the aircraft had passed a scheduled inspection just days before the incident.
Technical inspections of the Textron 172P revealed significant damage to the nosewheel shock strut assembly, which had collapsed due to the impact. The burst tires and the force of the landing caused the firewall to wrinkle and resulted in scoring marks on the lower rudder and aft fuselage skin. Investigators also found that a mooring eyebolt had been detached from the tail section. However, the investigation confirmed that the engine, electrical systems, and control cables were all functioning normally, and no maintenance-related defects were found to have contributed to the failure.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was human error related to the landing technique during a high-stress sequence of maneuvers.
- The student pilot was subjected to significant stressors, including an unexpected go-around instruction and a non-standard, tight circuit pattern.
- The nosewheel burst and subsequent structural damage were consistent with the excessive forces generated by the aircraft bouncing during the second landing attempt.