What happened
On May 23, 2005, a Cessna 172 M, registration EI-BUA, was conducting a training flight at Weston Airport, Leixlip, when an incident occurred during the landing phase. The flight, which was a practice circuit detail, involved a student pilot being checked out on the aircraft type alongside an instructor.
Following a standard approach and touchdown on runway 25, the aircraft experienced a sudden wind gust during the rollout. This gust caused the left wing to lift and the nose of the aircraft to dip toward the ground. Although the instructor immediately took control to implement corrective maneuvers, the propeller struck the runway surface. The impact resulted in damage to both propeller blade tips and left indentations on the runway centerline. There were no injuries to the two occupants, and the aircraft's engine required removal for a shock test.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the meteorological conditions and the pilot's experience level relative to the prevailing winds. At the time of the landing, the wind was recorded at 220 degrees at 24 knots, with gusts reaching 34 knots. Given the runway heading, this created a crosswind component that reached approximately 17 knots.
Investigators compared these conditions to the aircraft's flight manual, which notes that while there is no specific crosswind limitation for the model, a 15-knot crosswind can be handled safely with average technique. The investigation noted that the student pilot was transitioning from a much smaller Cessna 150 and lacked experience on the larger aircraft type.