What happened
On 3 July 1998, a Cessna 152, registration G-BMXA, was involved in an accident at Redhill Aerodrome in Surrey during a private training flight. The aircraft, operated by a student pilot with 17 hours of total flying experience, was performing a solo flight following successful instructional circuits earlier that day.
During the approach to runway 26, under wind conditions of 330°/06 kt, the pilot attempted a touch-and-go maneuver. While flaring for the landing, the pilot perceived the aircraft to be too high. Although the aircraft's attitude was maintained, it struck the runway with significant force, resulting in a bounce. The pilot then attempted to transition the touch-and-go into a full landing. During this process, the pilot held the control column in a rearward position. The aircraft underwent subsequent bounces, and upon the third impact, the nose landing gear collapsed. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the nose gear and a ruptured fuel tank. The pilot evacuated the aircraft and escaped with minor injuries.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events during the landing flare and the subsequent bounces. Investigators examined the pilot's actions following the initial heavy touchdown. The investigation established that the pilot's decision to maintain a rearward control column position contributed to the instability of the aircraft during the landing sequence.