What happened
On March 2, 2023, a CESSNA 152, registration EC-KIY, was performing a solo instructional flight at Madrid - Cuatro Vientos Airport. The pilot, a student completing a Private Pilot License (PPL) course, was conducting a scheduled solo navigation flight to fulfill required flight hours prior to a checkride.
The flight proceeded normally through the navigation phase. Upon returning to the airfield, the pilot entered the traffic pattern for runway 27. Following instructions from air traffic control, the pilot configured the aircraft with 20 degrees of flaps and maintained an approach speed of 70 knots.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft experienced an abnormal contact with the runway. The aircraft bounced off the pavement and continued to bounce approximately three times, with each impact becoming increasingly forceful. During these successive bounces, the pilot did not take corrective action, stating that the situation was unexpected and unfamiliar. The sequence of impacts eventually caused the nose gear to collapse, leading the aircraft to slide along the runway until it came to a stop. The pilot was uninjured.
The investigation
The CIAIAC investigation examined the aircraft's maintenance records, the pilot's training status, and the physical evidence left on the runway. Investigators analyzed airport surveillance footage, which confirmed that the aircraft bounced multiple times before the nose gear failed. The investigation also reviewed the aircraft's configuration at the time of impact, noting that the flaps were fully extended and the engine systems had been correctly shut down by the pilot following the accident.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the incorrect execution of the landing maneuver.
- The aircraft sustained significant damage to the nose gear, propeller, engine cowling, and the tip of the left wing.
- The pilot's lack of corrective action during the successive bounces contributed to the structural failure of the nose gear.