What happened
On 26 July 1999, a Cessna 152, registration G-BPBG, was performing a solo student training flight at Inverness Airport, Scotland. The flight was conducting a left-hand circuit pattern for Runway 06 under calm wind conditions.
During the initial landing attempt, the aircraft ballooned before making a heavy touchdown and bouncing. On the subsequent contact with the runway, the nose landing gear failed. The aircraft came to a stop on its nose and the tip of its left wing. While a small amount of fuel leaked from the aircraft, no fire occurred, and the student pilot was able to exit the cockpit via the left door without injury.
The investigation
The investigation examined the circumstances surrounding the landing sequence and the mechanical failure of the gear. The pilot, who had approximately 32 total flying hours and only three hours of solo experience, provided information regarding the flight controls during the bounce. The investigation established that the aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, the nose landing gear, and the left wing.
Findings
- The primary cause of the gear collapse was insufficient back pressure maintained on the control column following the initial bounce.
- The aircraft experienced a heavy touchdown and a subsequent bounce during the first landing attempt.
- There were no injuries to the pilot and no fire following the incident.