What happened
On October 19, 2024, a student pilot was conducting a solo cross-country flight as part of their PPL(A) training at Krosno Airport (EPKR). Following the completion of the flight mission, the pilot entered the airport traffic pattern. During the third turn of the circuit, the pilot proceeded to land; however, the AT-3R100, registration SP-IVP, bounced off the runway.
In an attempt to correct the bounce, the pilot applied excessive control input. This resulted in the nose gear striking the runway surface with significant force. The impact caused the nose gear to collapse and resulted in damage to the propeller. The student pilot sustained no injuries during the incident. An instructor monitoring the landing from the ground was unable to intervene before the impact occurred.
The investigation
The PKBWL reviewed all documentation provided by the investigating entity and concluded that the findings were sufficient to close the investigation. The inquiry focused on the sequence of events during the landing phase and the pilot's control inputs following the initial runway bounce.
Findings
The primary cause of the incident was the improper correction of the aircraft's bounce, specifically the student pilot's decision to apply too much control stick input, which led to the nose gear striking the runway.
Safety action
Following the incident, corrective discussions were held with the student pilots and the flight school's instructional staff. These sessions focused on improving landing and touchdown planning, as well as establishing proper procedures for managing aircraft bounces during landing.