What happened
On June 26, 2011, a Cessna 172S, registered F-GLLF, was conducting a local flight from Haguenau aerodrome with the pilot and one passenger. During the final approach to runway 03, the pilot configured the aircraft for landing with flaps extended, maintaining a speed between 60 and 65 knots. Approximately 200 meters before the runway threshold, after passing a line of trees, the pilot reduced power to idle. This caused the airspeed to drop to approximately 55 knots during the short final.
As the pilot attempted to flare after passing the threshold, the stall warning activated, and the aircraft entered a stall. The main landing gear struck the runway with significant force, causing the aircraft to bounce twice. The pilot initially applied full power for a go-around but then decided to abort the maneuver due to the proximity of trees at the end of the runway. In an attempt to land, the pilot reduced power and pushed the control column forward. This resulted in a hard impact of the nose gear, which collapsed, causing the aircraft to come to rest on its nose in the middle of the runway. The aircraft sustained heavy damage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the pilot's flight profile and decision-making during the unstable approach. Investigators examined the pilot's recent experience, noting that while the pilot had 330 total flight hours, only 35 were on this specific type, and the two previous flights in a Cessna had occurred over a year prior. The investigation also reviewed the flight path, specifically the premature reduction of power and the subsequent handling of the aircraft during the aborted go-around.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the late decision to execute a go-around during an approach that was already unstable in terms of both speed and trajectory.
- The initial hard landing was caused by the pilot's decision to reduce power prematurely before reaching the threshold.
- The pilot attempted to manage the flare by only adjusting the aircraft's pitch, allowing the airspeed to decay until a stall occurred.
- The nose gear failure resulted from an inadequate and rushed nose-down input by the pilot when transitioning from the aborted go-around back to a landing attempt.
- A lack of recent experience on the aircraft type likely contributed to the pilot's inability to visually estimate whether a safe go-around was possible following the initial bounces.