Aircraft and Flight Details
The aircraft, a Cessna 152 registered G-BSZI, was manufactured in 1984 and powered by a single Lycoming O-235-N2C piston engine. The flight was a solo cross-country training exercise, returning to City of Derry Airport (Londonderry, Northern Ireland) on 26 August 2010 at 1730 UTC. The sole occupant was a 43-year-old student pilot with 37 hours of total flying experience, including 23 hours on type. His instructor was present at the flying club but did not witness the accident.
Accident Sequence
During the final approach to Runway 08, the student pilot reported flaring too high. The aircraft touched down and bounced back into the air. On the second touchdown, the nose landing gear partially collapsed, causing the aircraft to veer to the right and run off the side of the runway onto the grass. The pilot vacated the aircraft normally with only minor cuts and bruises.
Damage and Injuries
The aircraft sustained damage to the nose landing gear leg, propeller, and engine. The pilot believed the nosewheel collapsed due to “digging in” on the grass; however, debris on the paved surface and damage to the propeller indicated that the nose gear collapse had occurred on the second touchdown. No other injuries were reported.