What happened
On Monday, August 13, 2002, at 11:35 AM, a Cessna 152, registration F-GDDX, was performing a private local flight when it experienced a hard landing at AD Cuers. The pilot, who was flying with one passenger, was integrating into the aerodrome traffic pattern using self-announcement.
During the final approach, the pilot noted that both the airspeed and the altitude were excessively high. While monitoring the frequency, the pilot heard another aircraft announce banner-towing activity but was unable to visually locate the aircraft. Fearing that a go-around might interfere with the path of the banner-towing aircraft, the pilot proceeded with the landing. This resulted in a heavy impact and a subsequent bounce. After a third bounce, the nose gear collapsed and the propeller struck the ground, after which the aircraft came to a halt on the runway.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight parameters during the final approach and the pilot's decision-making process regarding the unstable approach and the presence of other traffic in the circuit. The examination established that the aircraft sustained significant damage to the landing gear, propeller, and engine mount. There were no fatalities and no injuries reported among the two occupants.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was a distraction in attention during the final approach, which led to an unstabilized approach.
- The pilot failed to correct the excessive airspeed and altitude.
- The pilot's hesitation to execute a go-around, caused by the desire to avoid conflict with banner-towing activity, contributed to the hard landing.