What happened
On 7 June 2015, a Cessna 172B Skyhawk, registration G-ARMR, was performing a private flight at Sandown Airport, Isle of Wight. During the landing phase, the aircraft struck a bump immediately after touchdown, which caused it to become airborne once more. In response to this, the pilot applied full throttle and initiated a go-around procedure.
During this maneuver, the engine experienced a backfire. Following this engine issue, the pilot decided to abort the go-around and attempt another landing. This subsequent landing attempt resulted in the aircraft bouncing three to four times on the runway. During the sequence, the nosewheel collapsed, causing damage to the propeller and the landing gear assembly. There were no injuries to the pilot or the single passenger on board, and both occupants were able to exit the aircraft unaided.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the sequence of events leading from the initial bump on touchdown through to the engine backfire and the subsequent repeated bounces on the runway.