What happened
During his second solo flight at Debert Airport, a student pilot was practicing touch-and-go landings in a Cessna 152, registration C-GREJ. While approaching runway 10, the aircraft touched down 51 feet before the runway threshold, striking an 18-inch-high frozen snowbank. The impact caused the nose landing gear to separate from the airframe, and the aircraft slid 231 feet down the runway.
As the aircraft slid, sparks ignited a fuel leak caused by a failed carburetor fuel supply line fitting. The pilot reported seeing flames near the rudder pedals before the aircraft came to a halt. Although the pilot attempted to use an onboard fire extinguisher, the fire spread rapidly, eventually causing the right wing fuel tank to explode. The aircraft was completely destroyed by the fire. The pilot exited the aircraft without assistance, sustaining no injuries.
The investigation
The investigation examined the student pilot's approach techniques and the training environment. It was established that the student had been focused heavily on maintaining a constant airspeed of 65 knots, which led him to neglect other visual cues regarding his altitude and descent rate. The investigation also noted that the student's approach profile was inconsistent; while the instructor had briefed a standard power-assisted approach, the student had been practicing power-off glides and used a zero-flap configuration on the final approach.
Furthermore, the investigation looked into the instructor's oversight, noting that no dual competency check was performed before authorizing this second solo flight. It was also noted that the student failed to close the fuel shutoff valve before evacuating the burning aircraft, a factor that likely contributed to the intensity of the fire.
Findings
- The student pilot failed to properly monitor the aircraft's approach profile, resulting in a touchdown short of the runway.
- The student's attention was disproportionately focused on the airspeed indicator to the exclusion of other vital flight cues.
- There was a lack of emphasis on maintaining a standard approach profile during initial solo flights.
- Confusion existed regarding the correct procedures for correcting deviations from the desired approach path.
- The failure to close the fuel shutoff valve contributed to the destruction of the aircraft.