What happened
On September 22, 2024, a student pilot was conducting PPL(A) training at EPPT airport. Following several flights with an instructor, the student commenced a solo flight consisting of circuit patterns and touch-and-go landings.
During the approach for a landing, the pilot leveled the aircraft but maintained the flight path too high above the runway. This resulted in a loss of airspeed and a hard landing on the main landing gear. The impact caused the Tecnam P2008JC, registration SP-LFM, to bounce off the runway, prompting the student to abort the landing and initiate a second circuit.
During the subsequent climb, the pilot noticed that the engine was failing to reach the required RPM for takeoff power, with revolutions stagnating at approximately 1800 RPM. The pilot informed the instructor of the issue and performed a shortened circuit at low altitude. To mitigate the risk of further power loss, the pilot executed a higher approach with an excess of speed and completed a landing with a fly-over. The landing was conducted under priority due to the technical difficulties.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft and the flight sequence following the incident. Physical inspections of the airframe and the propulsion system revealed no visible damage to the fuselage or mechanical failures within the engine assembly. The investigation was unable to identify a specific technical cause for the observed drop in engine RPM.
Findings
- The primary cause of the hard landing was the pilot's high leveling and holding of the aircraft, which led to a loss of airspeed.
- The engine power deficiency was noted during the climb, though no mechanical fault was found during inspection.