Aircraft and Flight Details
The aircraft involved was a Cessna 152, registration G-BNRK, powered by a single Lycoming O-235-L2C piston engine. It was manufactured in 1984. The flight was a solo cross-country training exercise from Redhill to Manston, with only the student pilot on board. The pilot, aged 53, had 59 hours of flying experience, all on type, with 9 hours in the last 90 days and 3 hours in the last 28 days.
History of the Flight
The pilot completed pre-takeoff checks and departed from Runway 18 (grass surface) at 1344 hrs on 15 September 2007. Weather was good with light southerly winds. Once airborne, the altimeter appeared to read zero. The pilot radioed Redhill tower to confirm the QNH setting and checked the altimeter was set correctly. Continuing east toward the Visual Reporting Point (VRP) at Godstone railway station, he became concerned about a potential altimeter error and elected to return to Redhill. He received instructions giving him priority to land, with a left base join for Runway 18 and the QFE setting.
Approach and Landing
The pilot carried out pre-landing checks and radio calls before receiving clearance to land. The approach was reasonably normal, though Air Traffic Control considered it 'higher than normal'. Full flap was lowered at 200 ft. The aircraft rounded out and touched down with a slight bounce, becoming airborne again. It continued along the runway and nosed over after a second touchdown, causing extensive damage. The pilot recalled being concerned about the aircraft's speed and remaining runway length, and considered he may have inadvertently touched the brakes before the second touchdown. There was no fire, and the pilot was uninjured.
Damage
The aircraft sustained a bent propeller and extensive damage to the fuselage, wings, and tail.
Pilot's Reflections
The pilot later reflected on the accident, noting that his decision to return immediately to Redhill was probably taken too quickly and that remaining airborne longer would have given him more time to settle down. He also considered that, after the first bounce, he should have initiated a go-around instead of focusing on landing.