What happened
On 8 August 1998, a Cessna 150M, registration G-BFOG, was engaged in a private training flight at Compton Abbas, Wiltshire. The aircraft was being operated by a student pilot performing solo circuits and landings.
Following a successful initial landing, the aircraft experienced a bounce during the second landing attempt, touching down on all three wheels simultaneously. Rather than performing a go-around as previously instructed, the pilot attempted to keep the aircraft on the runway by lowering the nose. This action caused the nosewheel to strike the runway with enough impact to separate it from the nose landing gear leg. The incident resulted in substantial damage to the propeller and the nose landing gear, though no injuries were reported.
The investigation
The investigation, based on the accident report submitted by the pilot, focused on the sequence of the landing and the pilot's reaction to the aircraft's behavior. The inquiry established that the pilot was aware of the standard procedure to follow after a bounce, which involves an immediate go-around. However, the investigation found that the pilot's reaction to the bounce was an instinctive attempt to maintain ground contact rather than following the established training protocol.