Synopsis
On 20 August 2014 at 12:30 UTC, a Cessna 152, registration CS-DPD, operated by Escola de Aviação OMNI and owned by Operador Aeroplano, was conducting a solo instructional flight from Cascais to Évora and back. The aircraft was on approach to runway 01 at Évora Aerodrome (LPEV) for a planned touch-and-go. The weather was clear with visibility exceeding 10 km, temperature 30°C, and wind from 270° at 9 knots.
History of the Flight
The student pilot, a 25-year-old Portuguese male holding an ATPL(A) student license, intended to land and then return to Cascais. After contacting the Évora tower at the VALVE point at 2300 feet, the pilot was instructed to report on final for runway 01. However, the pilot did not make that call and conducted the approach and landing without further communication.
The aircraft was configured for landing with flaps and an approach speed of 70 knots as per the operating manual. Upon touchdown, the aircraft bounced slightly and began to veer left. The pilot applied opposite rudder and added power to abort the landing but could not correct the deviation due to excessive speed at touchdown. The aircraft departed the left side of the runway.
The nose wheel struck a small ditch, causing the nose gear to fracture. The impact resulted in a bounce of about 30 meters, during which the propeller spinner contacted the ground. The energy dissipated through the engine mount structure, and the aircraft nosed over vertically, coming to rest inverted facing southeast.
Injuries and Damage
The pilot was not injured and evacuated the aircraft unaided. The aircraft sustained substantial damage: both propeller blades bent rearward; spinner damaged; upper and lower cowling damaged; nose wheel assembly bent inward and separated from its mounting points; exhaust damaged; engine mount structure fractured at upper and lower attachments to the firewall; both wing tips damaged; upper surfaces of both wings wrinkled with fuel leakage from wing tanks; rudder and vertical stabilizer damaged. No third-party damage occurred.
Pilot Information
The pilot had a total flight experience of 51 hours and 50 minutes, all on type, with 175 landings. In the preceding 90 days, he had logged 4 hours and 15 minutes. He held a valid Class 1 medical certificate with the limitation to wear corrective lenses.
Probable Cause
The cause of the incident was the adverse effect of crosswind on landing and inadequate pilot action. After touchdown, the aircraft was not stabilized and controlled, and the pilot could not counteract the crosswind effect, resulting in a runway excursion.