What happened
On 15 May 1998, a Cessna 172M, registration G-TRIO, was performing a qualifying cross-country flight as part of a training syllabus. The flight, operated by a student pilot, originated from Redhill Aerodrome.
While approaching Runway 10 at Manston Kent International Airport, the aircraft encountered a crosswind from the left. During the landing flare, a sudden gust of wind caused the aircraft to bank toward the right, resulting in a drift toward the edge of the runway. During this maneuver, the right wingtip likely made contact with the runway surface, and the propeller struck a runway edge lighting unit. The pilot managed to regain control of the aircraft and subsequently taxied to the parking area, initially unaware that the lighting equipment had been struck.
The investigation
Investigators examined the weather conditions at the time of the incident. An observation recorded at 1530 hrs, shortly before the arrival, showed a surface wind of 040° at 11 knots, with good visibility of 14 km and no significant cloud cover.
Additionally, the investigation reviewed the operating procedures of the flight training organisation. The organization's specific safety limits for solo student take-offs and landings stipulate a maximum allowable crosswind component of 10 knots.