Aircraft and Flight Details
The aircraft involved was a Cessna 152, registration G-BPJL, manufactured in 1978. It was powered by a single Lycoming O-235-L2C piston engine. The flight was a training sortie conducted on 9 July 2003 at 0955 UTC at Southend Airport, Essex. The sole occupant was a 16-year-old student pilot with 17 hours and 20 minutes of flying experience, all on type.
Sequence of Events
The student pilot was landing after her second solo flight. During the landing, she misjudged the flare height and rounded out too early. The aircraft subsequently landed heavily on the runway and bounced three times before coming to rest.
Damage
Following the event, the control tower informed the pilot that the nose wheel had been damaged and the tyre appeared deflated. Accordingly, she shut down the engine and switched off the electrical systems before exiting the aircraft normally. The damage comprised a broken nose wheel and damaged tyre, wrinkled fuselage skin around the engine mounting, and damage to the engine mounting itself.
Pilot Information and Instructor's Comment
The commander held a student pilot licence. Her instructor commented that she had shown no previous tendency to misjudge the flare height during her training.
Probable Cause
The pilot misjudged the flare height and rounded out too early, leading to a heavy landing and multiple bounces.