History of the Flight
The student pilot was undertaking a solo cross-country flight to Lydd Airport, Kent, on 9 July 2017. Runway 21 was in use, with the wind reported from 110° at 8 kt, resulting in a crosswind from the left and a slight tailwind. The pilot believed he approached at the correct airspeed. During the flare, the aircraft ballooned and then sank. He added power to reduce the descent rate, but the aircraft bounced. Upon the second contact with the runway, the nose leg collapsed rearwards, the propeller blade tips shattered, and the engine stopped. The aircraft came to a halt on the runway. The pilot later stated that it was a hot day (24°C) and that convective lift over the runway may have been a factor in the ballooning. In retrospect, he assessed that he should have initiated a go-around rather than adding power. His instructor reported that the pilot had demonstrated two good landings on a training flight from Stapleford Airport before departing on the cross-country flight.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a Tecnam P2008-JC, registration G-OLIC, serial number 1059, manufactured in 2016. It was powered by one Rotax 912-S2 piston engine. The aircraft sustained damage including a collapsed nose leg, destroyed propeller, engine shock loading, and damage to the firewall and underside panels.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a student license and was 40 years old at the time. Total flying experience was 56 hours, of which 6 hours were on the accident aircraft type. In the last 90 days, he had flown 10 hours, with 6 hours in the last 28 days.
Injuries and Damage
There were no injuries to the crew; no passengers were on board. The aircraft's nose leg collapsed, the propeller was destroyed, the engine was shock-loaded, and the firewall and underside panels were damaged.