What happened
On 5 August 2003, a Cessna 152, registration G-BGIB, was conducting a training flight at Shoreham Airport, Sussex. The flight involved a student pilot performing circuits under the supervision of an instructor. While approaching for a touch-and-go, the crew initially prepared for a go-around because an aircraft ahead had not yet cleared the runway. However, once the runway was vacated, the crew proceeded with the approach.
The approach was flown at 70 kt and was slightly high. The aircraft made its initial contact with the runway halfway down the strip. While the initial flare was successful, the student pilot applied a sharp aft input on the control column. Upon receiving instructions from the instructor to lower the nose, the student performed the correction so abruptly that the nosewheel struck the runway surface. This caused the aircraft to bounce. During the subsequent second touchdown, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the propeller made contact with the runway.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of control inputs and the aircraft's configuration. The inspection revealed that the propeller and engine bulkhead sustained damage, the engine was shock loaded, and the engine mount was torn. The nose landing gear was also found to be bent forward.
During the follow-up, the student pilot noted that a large nose-down pitch rate occurred when attempting to correct the attitude, which he attributed to an incorrect trim setting. However, a post-incident check of the trim revealed it was in a normal setting for landing. Additionally, the investigation looked into the timing of the instructor's intervention, noting that because the student was considered proficient, the instructor did not take control as early as might have been prudent.