What happened
On 17 September 2011, a Cessna 152, registration G-CCHT, was conducting a private flight near Redhill Aerodrome. The flight had previously involved a diversion to Headcorn to repair a broken window latch. Upon returning to Redhill, the pilot noted weather information indicating rain showers in the area.
While joining the circuit overhead, the pilot encountered rain showers and noted parallel landing traffic, including a rotorcraft on final approach for the adjacent runway. During the approach to Runway 26R, the pilot became distracted by the weather conditions and the nearby aircraft. The aircraft touched down and bounced twice on the runway. In an attempt to recover, the pilot initiated a go-around, but the nose landing gear failed before the maneuver could be completed. The aircraft subsequently skidded to a halt at the left edge of the runway, remaining upright. There were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the gear failure and the environmental factors present during the approach. The AAIB examined the pilot's flight path and the impact of the weather and traffic on the landing technique. The investigation established that the pilot was managing several distractions, including the intensity of the rain and the presence of other aircraft in the immediate vicinity.
Findings
- The pilot maintained an excessively high airspeed on final approach.
- The pilot's attention was divided by the onset of rain showers and the monitoring of parallel landing traffic.
- The primary cause was the maintenance of too high an airspeed during the final approach, which contributed to the aircraft bouncing twice upon touchdown.
- The nose landing gear leg failed following these bounces, leading to the subsequent skid and propeller damage.