What happened
On 1 April 2014, a Cessna 152, registration G-BRNK, was involved in an accident during a solo training flight at Netherthorpe Airfield in South Yorkshire. The student pilot had previously completed a dual instruction session and a solo flight earlier that day, both focused on practicing visual circuits. During the final solo circuit, the pilot performed a stable approach, but the aircraft bounced twice upon contact with the runway.
In an attempt to land the aircraft quickly due to the decreasing amount of runway remaining, the pilot moved the control column forward. This maneuver caused the aircraft to land heavily on its nose landing gear, leading to its collapse. The aircraft came to a stop on the runway with no injuries to the pilot. The impact resulted in damage to the propeller, the engine via shock-loading, and the nosewheel assembly.
The investigation
The investigation examined the pilot's actions and the sequence of events leading to the gear failure. It was established that the pilot felt a pressing need to expedite the touchdown because of the limited runway length available. The instructor involved in the day's training noted that the accident could have been prevented if the pilot had maintained a proper landing attitude or opted to perform a go-around instead of attempting to force the landing.
Findings
- The pilot applied inappropriate control inputs by pushing the column forward to hasten the touchdown.
- The pilot's decision to use forward elevator input to compensate for a bounced landing caused the nosewheel to collapse.
- The student pilot was motivated by the perceived need to land within the remaining runway distance.