History of the Flight
On 5 August 2003 at 1620 hours, a Cessna 152, registration G-BGIB, was conducting a training flight at Shoreham Airport, Sussex. The aircraft was flown by a student pilot under the supervision of an instructor, with two crew on board and no passengers. The flight involved circuit practice, and the student had successfully completed three touch-and-go landings earlier.
During the approach for a fourth touch-and-go, late clearance from air traffic control was received due to a previous aircraft on the runway. The student and instructor considered a go-around but decided to continue as the preceding aircraft cleared the runway. The final approach was slightly high and flown at 70 knots. The aircraft touched down halfway along the runway. The initial flare was satisfactory, but then the student pulled sharply back on the control column. The instructor advised the student to "lower the nose a bit." The student performed this abruptly, causing the nosewheel to strike the ground, leading to a bounce. The instructor then took control. On the second touchdown, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the propeller struck the runway.
Damage and Examination
The aircraft sustained damage to the propeller and the engine bulkhead. The engine was shock-loaded, and the engine mount was torn. The nose landing gear was bent forward. The maintenance company conducted a further examination of the airframe to assess fuselage damage.
Student Comments
The student commented that the large nose-down pitch rate when lowering the nose was due to an incorrect trim setting, resulting in a greater nose-down movement than intended. However, the trim setting was checked after the incident and found to be normally set for landing.
Instructor Observations
During follow-up enquiries, it was noted that because the student was considered proficient, the instructor did not take control as soon as she might have otherwise.