What happened
On 19 September 2007, a Cessna 152, registration G-BGIB, was involved in an accident during a training flight at Redhill Airfield, Surrey. The pilot, a student with seven hours of solo experience, had planned to conduct training following a review of the weather forecasts. After monitoring the Automatic Terminal Information System, the pilot proceeded with the flight despite forecasted gusty conditions.
The flight initially consisted of six successful touch-and-go landings. However, during the seventh approach onto Runway 26R, the aircraft encountered significant turbulence. As the aircraft crossed the airfield boundary at a speed of 65 kt with two stages of flap, it lost altitude and bounced twice on the runway. During this sequence, the nosewheel fork and the nose gear assembly became detached from the aircraft.
Following the detachment, the nose gear leg dug into the grass, causing the aircraft to come to a halt on the runway before reaching the intersection with Runway 1s/36. The pilot sustained no injuries.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft's mechanical state and the environmental conditions at the time of the accident. The inspection revealed that the nosewheel fork had detached from the gear leg, resulting in damage to the nose gear leg and the surrounding airframe structure. Additionally, the engine had suffered a shock-load, and the propeller was found to be bent.
Investigators reviewed the weather data, noting that while the forecast indicated a 15 kt wind from 240º, the actual conditions were more volatile, with wind directions varying between 190º and 270º. The investigation also considered the pilot's recent training and the briefing provided by the instructor regarding managing gusty winds and landing bounces.
Findings
- The aircraft encountered severe gusts that exceeded the pilot's level of experience.
- The nosewheel fork and nosewheel became detached from the aircraft during a series of bounces on the runway.
- The impact caused structural damage to the nose gear area and a shock-load to the engine.
- The pilot was operating under a briefing that specifically addressed managing gusty conditions and landing bounces.