What happened
On 8 July 2018, a Cessna 152, registration G-BUEG, was involved in an accident at Rochester Airport, Kent, during a solo navigation training flight. The student pilot was returning to the airfield following the completion of the flight. According to an instructor, the initial approach for the first landing attempt appeared to be acceptable; however, the aircraft bounced upon touchdown, prompting the student to initiate a go-around.
During the subsequent landing attempt, the aircraft sustained significant damage. An eyewitness observed that the nose landing gear appeared to be bent and damaged backwards prior to the aircraft coming to rest. Following the landing, the nose gear collapsed, causing the aircraft to overturn and come to rest in an inverted position. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot and supplementary information provided by the airfield. Investigators reviewed the flight history and the pilot's recent experience, noting that the student had not flown for approximately three weeks prior to the event. However, the instructor had recently flown with the student on a circuit, assessing the student's approach and landing performance as satisfactory.
Findings
- The nose landing gear was observed to be damaged and bent backwards prior to the final collapse.
- The nose landing gear collapsed during the landing phase, resulting in the aircraft overturning.