Cessna 172-P EC-FQD Hard Landing at Son Bonet Aerodrome

Overview and Flight Details On 11 May 2015, a Cessna 172-P with registration EC-FQD, owned and operated by Panamedia, departed Son Bonet Aerodrome (LESB) in the Balearic Islands for a local instructional flight. The flight included a 1 hour 10 minute navigation exercise around the island. After 55 minutes of flight time, the crew returned to Son Bonet and reported being established on approach to runway 23. ## Accident Sequence During the landing, the student pilot attempted to land the aircraft, which was configured with full flaps and maintaining 65 knots. The aircraft impacted the runway with significant force and began to bounce. The instructor then took control of the aircraft. Noting that the controls felt 'blocked', the instructor decided to remain on the ground rather than attempting a go-around, and brought the aircraft to a stop on the runway. Both the instructor and the student pilot were uninjured. ## Aircraft Damage and Investigation Findings The aircraft sustained major damage to the propeller blades, the firewall, several sheets and stringers in the forward fuselage, and the elevator and aileron controls. The investigation determined that all damage, including the deformation of the firewall and the significant stiffness of the controls, was consistent with a hard impact of the nose gear against the runway. No other damage occurred. ## Personnel and Aircraft Information The instructor was a 25-year-old Spanish national holding a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL(A)) with multi-engine, single-engine, instrument, and flight instructor ratings. He had 398 hours of experience, including 205 hours 40 minutes on type. The student pilot was 19 years old and was training for a CPL(A), with 16 hours of experience, 14 of which were on type. The Cessna 172-P, serial number 172-75140, was manufactured in 1981 and powered by a Lycoming O-320-D2J engine. At the time of the accident, the airframe had 14,706 hours 35 minutes and the engine had 2,130 hours 55 minutes of operating time. The aircraft had a valid airworthiness certificate and had undergone a 50-hour inspection on 7 May 2015.