What happened
On August 13, 2017, a Cessna 152, registration SP-APT, operated by Ośrodek Szkolenia AZP, was involved in an accident during a solo training flight at Piotrków Trybunalski (EPPT) airport. Following several successful supervised check flights, the student pilot was cleared by the instructor to perform solo maneuvers. After refueling, the student taxied to runway 21 and departed for a circuit flight.
The flight proceeded normally until the landing phase. The aircraft touched down using a three-point technique, which caused the plane to bounce approximately 1.5 meters above the runway surface. During this bounce, the instructor, observing from 30–40 meters away from the runway, issued a radio command of "power, power" (gaz, gaz) to assist with the landing. The student pilot failed to respond to the command and instead pushed the control yoke forward. This action caused the aircraft to land on its nose wheel, resulting in the nose gear being torn from the fork and the landing gear strut breaking.
The aircraft then began to skid on the engine cowling and the broken strut, veering to the left. During the final stage of the excursion, the broken strut struck a concrete light pole foundation, which lifted the tail upward. The aircraft then tilted onto its left wing, striking the ground with the wingtip before coming to a complete stop. The student pilot sustained no injuries.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events during the landing flare and the pilot's reaction to the instructor's radio instructions. The investigation established the physical damage to the aircraft, which included the nose gear strut, propeller, lower engine cowling, exhaust manifold, and the left wingtip.