What happened
On January 15, 2011, a Cessna 172-N Skyhawk II, registration EC-HAT, was performing a solo instructional flight from Madrid-Cuatro Vientos airport. The flight proceeded normally under good meteorological conditions with clear visibility and calm winds. After completing the planned route, the student pilot returned to the airfield and was cleared to land on runway 28.
During the landing roll, the aircraft bounced off the runway surface. Upon the second impact, the nose tire burst. This caused the pilot to lose directional control, and the aircraft veered toward the left side of the runway near taxiway exit J3. As the aircraft moved onto the runway shoulder, the damaged nose gear struck an electrical utility box cover that was protruding 8 to 12 cm above the ground. The impact broke the frangible cover and forced the wheel into the pit. The subsequent force caused the nose gear to detach from the strut, and the nose of the aircraft dug into the ground, resulting in a capsize. The aircraft sustained important damage, and a fuel leak occurred from the right wing, though no fire broke out.
The investigation
Investigators examined the flight sequence, the pilot's training records, and the mechanical failure of the landing gear. The air traffic controller observed that the aircraft approached too high, requiring the pilot to push the control column forward to descend. This maneuver increased the aircraft's speed, leading to a landing characterized by multiple, increasingly forceful bounces.
Regarding the pilot's experience, the investigation noted that the student had a significant period of inactivity. After accumulating approximately 38 hours of flight time by August 2010, the pilot had not flown since early January 2011 due to a knee injury. Prior to the accident, the pilot had only completed one hour of instruction with an instructor, making the accident flight the pilot's first solo cross-country flight following the hiatus.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the lack of skill exhibited by the student pilot during the landing phase.
- The decision to schedule a solo cross-country flight after only a single instructional flight following a four-month period of flight inactivity was inappropriate and contributed to the occurrence.
- The landing sequence involved excessive speed and multiple bounces, which directly led to the nose gear tire failure.