Accident Overview
On 13 June 2009 at 1510 UTC, a Cessna 152 (registration G-BRNE) sustained damage when its nose gear collapsed during landing at Redhill Aerodrome, Surrey. The aircraft was being used for training purposes, with a solo student pilot on board. No injuries were reported. The damage was limited to the nose gear and propeller.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The aircraft was a 1980 Cessna 152, powered by a single Lycoming O-235-L2C piston engine. The student pilot, aged 43, held a student pilot licence and had accumulated 49 hours of total flying experience, of which 9 hours were on the Cessna 152. In the last 90 days, the pilot had flown 21 hours, with 9 hours in the last 28 days.
Sequence of Events
The student pilot was conducting solo circuits using Runway 18. The weather was good, with a wind of 7 knots from 210°. After 55 minutes of circuit work, the aircraft bounced during landing. Subsequent attempts to recover led to a porpoise motion, which eventually caused the nose gear to collapse.
Pilot's Assessment
The student pilot assessed that she should not have flown such a long circuit session and that, as a result, she may have been starting to suffer from fatigue.