What happened
On 14 August 2012, a Cessna 152, registration G-BNAJ, was performing practice circuits at Shoreham Airport, West Sussex. During the initial approach to Runway 20, the pilot noted that the aircraft's speed was slightly high. This resulted in a hard touchdown that caused the aircraft to bounce back into the air.
On the subsequent second approach, the aircraft again approached the runway with excessive speed. Upon landing, the nosewheel leg failed and separated from the airframe. The resulting collapse caused the aircraft to slide and veer toward the left side of the runway, eventually coming to a stop at the edge of the paved surface. The pilot sustained minor injuries.
The investigation
The investigation examined the sequence of the two landing attempts and the mechanical failure of the landing gear. The aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, which struck the ground during the incident, as well as damage to the nose, the radio antenna, and the nosewheel assembly.
Findings
- The aircraft's approach speed was too high during both the first and second landing attempts.
- The nosewheel leg separated from the aircraft following a hard touchdown on the second approach.