Cessna 172-N accident at Madrid-Cuatro Vientos (EC-HAT)

Accident overview and aircraft details On Saturday, 15 January 2011, at 16:53 local time, a Cessna 172-N “Skyhawk II” with registration EC-HAT was involved in an accident at Madrid-Cuatro Vientos Airport in Madrid. The aircraft was operated by Escuela de Formación de Pilotos “American Flyers” España, S. L., and was powered by one Lycoming O-320-D2J engine. The flight was a general aviation solo training flight, and the accident occurred during the landing roll. ## Flight sequence and immediate events The student pilot departed runway 28 at 15:52 after completing pre-flight and engine checks without finding anomalies. The flight proceeded normally, with radio contact maintained as required and the planned route completed. Weather was good, with full visibility and calm wind. At 16:47, the pilot reported to the control tower that he was returning and overflew entry point S to the aerodrome circuit. He was then cleared to land on runway 28, which has an asphalt surface 1,500 m long and 30 m wide. According to the pilot, the approach was normal. After first contact with the runway, the aircraft bounced and came down again on the nose gear, where the nose wheel burst. The student pilot then lost directional control, and the aircraft gradually deviated to the left, leaving the paved runway area near exit J3. While rolling on the runway margin, the burst nose wheel struck the cover of an electrical box that protruded 8 to 12 cm above the ground. The wheel broke the frangible cover, entered the box, and struck the internal wall. The wheel separated from the gear, and the nose gear without a wheel became embedded in the ground, causing the aircraft to overturn. The tower controller, who observed the final approach and landing, stated that the aircraft approached too high, requiring the pilot to push the control stick forward to lower the aircraft. This increased speed, and the aircraft floated considerably during the landing. The controller observed the aircraft bouncing two or three times, with increasing force, and then alerted the fire brigade, which arrived within minutes. ## Injuries, damage, and post-accident actions The student pilot was uninjured and exited the aircraft under his own power before the fire brigade arrived. Fuel leaked from the right wing fitting but did not ignite due to the fire brigade’s intervention. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, and the accident also caused damage to an electrical box cover on the runway. ## Pilot background and training history The student pilot was 24 years old and held a student pilot authorization. He had a total of 40:12 flight hours, all in the type. He was enrolled in an integrated course to obtain a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL(A)) and held a valid Class 1 medical certificate until 5 November 2011. His flight log showed training beginning in April 2010 and continuing through late August 2010, with 38:42 hours flown in that period. He then did not fly until 3 January 2011, reportedly due to a knee injury. The student had been soloed in June 2010 with 18 hours of experience, after a short flight involving takeoff, circuit, and landing, following twelve training flights. Two weeks before the accident, he resumed training with an instructor on a 1.5-hour flight. During that final flight with an instructor, only one landing was performed, and the student’s first solo route flight was scheduled, during which the accident occurred. ## Contributing factors The investigation considered that the accident resulted from the student’s lack of skill. Although the applicable regulation (JAR-FCL) did not require specific training after a period of inactivity, the decision to schedule a solo route flight after only one training flight following four months of inactivity was not appropriate and contributed to the accident.