Background
The aircraft involved was a Cessna 152, registration G-BKAZ, manufactured in 1979 with serial number 152-82832. It was powered by a single Lycoming O-235-L2C piston engine. The flight was a training solo cross-country mission.
History of the Flight
On 14 September 2017, a student pilot with 61 hours total flying experience (60 hours on type) returned to Perth Aerodrome after a short solo cross-country flight. The pilot executed an overhead join and turned onto finals. At that time, rain began to fall, reducing visibility. The pilot continued the approach. Just before touchdown, a crosswind caused the aircraft to drift off the runway centerline. The pilot attempted to correct, but the aircraft landed heavily and bounced. After taxiing back to the parking area, the pilot noticed the rudder was not operating properly. Inspection revealed that the aircraft had sustained a propeller strike, and damage had occurred to the engine frame and firewall.
Damage
The nature of damage was a propeller strike, along with distortion of the engine frame and firewall.
Pilot and Instructor Comments
The pilot believed that the wind direction changed in the final moments of the approach and that a sudden windshear unexpectedly increased the rate of descent, resulting in an earlier-than-expected touchdown. The pilot's instructor had flown with the student twice on the same day, including a circuit in a stiff crosswind, which the instructor considered the student handled well. The instructor had no doubts about the student's ability to carry out the planned flight and had briefed the student on the possibility of variable wind conditions and localised showers. The instructor was of the view that the propeller strike and frame damage occurred after the bounced landing.