Accident Details
On 1 August 2003 at 1645 hours UTC, a Cessna 172S Skyhawk, registration G-UFCF, sustained damage during a landing at Newtownards Airport, County Down. The aircraft was operating on Runway 22, and the accident occurred approximately at the runway midpoint. The flight was a training sortie with only the pilot on board. No injuries were reported.
Pilot Background
The pilot, aged 57, held a Private Pilot's Licence (Group D) and was a student pilot (Group A). He had accumulated 270 flying hours, including 17 hours on the Cessna 172 type. His flying experience in the preceding 90 days was 18 hours, and only 1 hour in the last 28 days. The pilot initially learned to fly on weight-shift microlights and later converted to three-axis microlights before beginning a course for a PPL(A) licence on single-engine piston aircraft in early 2003.
Flight Sequence
The accident flight was the pilot's second solo flight on the Cessna 172 and was immediately preceded by a circuit training session with an instructor. Meteorological conditions were fine, with good visibility and a light surface wind aligned with the runway. During the first landing approach, the aircraft flared vigorously and ballooned before touching down and bouncing along the runway several times. On one of these touchdowns, the propeller struck the ground. The pilot then applied full power and raised the flaps to execute a go-around. However, during the go-around, it became evident that aircraft performance had been affected. The pilot declared a MAYDAY and flew a low-level circuit, resulting in an uneventful landing.
Aftermath
Post-flight inspection revealed damage to the propeller tips, buckling of the cockpit floor, and damage to the firewall. In his report, the pilot stated that after the bounced landing he lowered the nose instead of maintaining the landing attitude. The instructor who had flown with him earlier suggested that the pilot may have reverted to weight-shift microlight techniques during a moment of stress.