What happened
On 26 November 1998, a Cessna 172R, registration G-BXOI, was performing a private flight when it encountered extreme weather conditions while approaching Runway 27 at Guernsey Airport. Due to a strong surface wind of 280°/21 kt, the pilot had configured the aircraft with reduced flaps for the approach.
During the final stages of the approach, the aircraft was struck by severe turbulence, resulting in rolling motions of 40° in both directions. As the aircraft passed just over the runway threshold, it was hit by a violent updraft followed immediately by a powerful downdraft. While the initial contact with the runway was normal, the subsequent atmospheric disturbances caused the aircraft to become airborne again. This resulted in a heavy landing, after which the pilot struggled to keep the aircraft on the runway centerline. The impact caused substantial damage to the nosewheel spat and the firewall.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the flight conditions and the sequence of aerodynamic disturbances encountered during the landing phase. The pilot noted that the turbulence was the primary driver of the event and reflected that a go-around should have been initiated when the initial turbulence was first encountered.