What happened
On 30 July 2015, a Cessna F172H Skyhawk, registration G-BGIU, was conducting a private flight at Perranporth Airfield in Cornwall. Following a local flight, the pilot began a left-hand circuit for Runway 05, configuring the aircraft with 20 degrees of flap and setting the elevator trim for 70 knots.
During the final approach, the pilot identified that the aircraft was approaching the runway with excessive speed and was positioned for an overshoot. In an attempt to correct the approach, the pilot lowered the aircraft's nose, which resulted in the aircraft rounding out at an excessive height. This maneuver caused the aircraft to lose airspeed, leading to a bounced landing. Following the bounce, the pilot lowered the nose too aggressively, causing the nosewheel to impact the runway surface.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Examination of the aircraft following the event revealed rippling damage to the fuselage footwell floor.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced a loss of flying speed during the landing phase.
- The primary cause of the nosewheel strike was the pilot lowering the nose too far following a bounced landing.