What happened
On 9 July 2003, a Cessna 152, registration G-BPJL, was performing a training flight at Southend Airport, Essex. The aircraft was being operated by a student pilot who was conducting her second solo flight. During the landing phase, the pilot misjudged the height required for the flare, resulting in an early round-out.
This error led to a heavy touchdown on the runway. Following the initial impact, the aircraft bounced three times before finally coming to a stop. Upon inspection by the control tower, it was noted that the nose wheel had sustained damage and the tyre appeared to be deflating. The pilot followed standard procedures, shutting down the engine and disconnecting the electrical systems before exiting the aircraft without injury.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the physical state of the aircraft, noting a broken nose wheel, a damaged tyre, and wrinkling of the fuselage skin around the engine mounting, which was also damaged. The investigation also considered the pilot's training history, noting that the instructor had observed no prior tendency to misjudge flare height during previous training sessions.