Factual Information
On 30 November 2016, at 14:18 local time, a Cessna 152, registration EC-DMC, operated by Aeroclub Barcelona Sabadell, was conducting a local training flight consisting of touch-and-go landings at Sabadell Airport (LELL), Barcelona. The aircraft was occupied solely by a student pilot. The flight was supervised by an instructor on the ground.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The aircraft was a Cessna F-152, a single-engine, tricycle-gear monoplane with a Lycoming O-235-L2C engine and a two-blade propeller. It was manufactured in 1980, serial number 1783. At the time of the accident, the airframe had accumulated 14,846:56 hours, and the engine 2,453:56 hours. The last maintenance inspection, a 50-hour check, was performed on 23 November 2016 at 14,829:03 hours.
The student pilot was a 32-year-old Belgian national enrolled in a Private Pilot License (PPL(A)) course. He held a valid medical certificate from the Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency (AESA) valid until 22 August 2021. His total flight experience was 52 hours, of which 37 were on the Cessna 152. He had conducted his first solo flight on 28 November 2016, two days before the accident.
Accident Sequence
According to the supervising instructor, the student performed the approach to runway 13 correctly, with no apparent excess speed. During the flare, the aircraft began to float, then contacted the runway and bounced three or four times. The nose landing gear subsequently failed, and the aircraft impacted the runway, sustaining substantial damage. The student pilot was uninjured.
Meteorological and Airport Information
The weather at Sabadell Airport around the time of the accident included wind from 090° at 3 knots, gusting to 13 knots, with direction variable between 030° and 160°. Visibility was greater than 10 km, with scattered clouds at 4,000 ft. Temperature was 14°C, dew point 6°C, and QNH 1032 hPa. The airport has a single asphalt runway, 13/31, measuring 1,050 m long by 30 m wide.
Probable Cause
The investigation determined that the probable cause of the accident was pilot error, specifically that the student pilot did not perform the flare correctly, causing the aircraft to impact the runway and bounce.