What happened
On July 22, 2018, at Bydgoszcz-Szwederowo Airport (EPBY), a student pilot was performing training circuits under the ground-based supervision of an instructor. During the second flight of the session, while attempting to land on runway 08, the Cessna 150J, registration SP-KIC, experienced a series of heavy bounces. The aircraft bounced off the runway surface multiple times with varying intensity.
After the fifth impact, the nose gear failed, breaking away from its engine mount. The wheel axle snapped, and the wheel assembly detached from the aircraft. As the aircraft continued to slide, the rotating propeller struck the runway surface, causing extensive damage to the propeller, engine mount, exhaust pipes, and lower engine cowling. The impact also caused a fuel leak from the left wing's fuel system vent. The aircraft eventually came to a stop 10 meters from the edge of the runway. The student pilot evacuated the aircraft safely within approximately three minutes of the aircraft coming to a halt, and no injuries were reported.
The investigation
The PKBWL investigation confirmed that the student pilot was conducting solo training flights and that the instructor was monitoring the flight from the ground with continuous radio contact. The investigation established that the pilot's medical and theoretical knowledge qualifications were valid, and the student was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident.
Regarding the aircraft, the investigation found that the Cessna 150J was maintained by an authorized entity and that its documentation was largely in order, although a discrepancy of approximately 139 flight hours was noted between the airworthiness certificate and the cockpit hour meter, possibly due to a reading error during the last inspection. The aircraft's weight and center of gravity were within limits, and the weather conditions were suitable for flight.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was pilot error, specifically an improper correction of the aircraft's bounce from the runway surface during the landing phase.
- The student pilot's limited practical experience contributed to the occurrence.
- The possibility of unexpected thermal gusts over the runway or locally variable wind directions may have contributed to the unstable landing sequence.