Incident Overview
On 28 July 2011 at approximately 1320 UTC, a Cessna 182F Skylane, registration G-ASLH, experienced a hard landing at Bourn Airfield in Cambridgeshire. The aircraft was engaged in a private flight with only the pilot on board. The pilot, aged 69, held a Private Pilot’s Licence and had accumulated 111 total flying hours, with 15 hours on type. In the preceding 90 days, he had flown 9 hours, and 4 hours in the last 28 days.
Sequence of Events
According to the pilot’s report submitted to the AAIB, the aircraft touched down heavily and bounced. The pilot later stated that he considered his approach was too high and his rate of descent was excessive. The incident resulted in damage to the nose gear, propeller, and engine. No injuries were sustained by the pilot.
Aircraft and Damage
The Cessna 182F Skylane (year of manufacture 1963) was powered by a single Continental Motors Corp O-470-R piston engine. The damage was limited to the nose gear, propeller, and engine; the extent of structural damage was not specified further.
Investigation
The incident was investigated based on the Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot. The AAIB categorized this as an accident under reference EW/G2011/07/31.