What happened
On 30 July 2012, a Cessna 182T Skylane, registered G-MPLA, was conducting a solo training flight consisting of a navigation exercise from Oxford Airport to Filton Airport. The flight plan included a visual approach and a touch-and-go landing at Filton, where runway 27 was active with a 12-knot wind from 270°.
During the landing phase at Filton, the student pilot initiated the flare too early, which led to the development of a high sink rate. Although the pilot applied full power in an attempt to execute a go-around, the aircraft made contact with the runway before the climb could be established. There were no injuries to the pilot following the incident.
Upon returning to Oxford, the pilot noted that the aircraft required significantly more left rudder input than usual and found that the right rudder pedal was non-functional. The impact caused damage to the nose gear assembly, the wheel spats, the forward bulkhead, and the rudder control mechanism.
The investigation
Investigators reviewed the accident report submitted by the pilot and the training establishment's internal occurrence report. The training establishment's own assessment concluded that the damage to the aircraft and the subsequent handling difficulties were likely the result of a hard landing. The investigation also noted that the student pilot had encountered an unfamiliar runway aspect during the flight.
Findings
- The primary cause of the damage was the high sink rate resulting from an early flare during the landing.
- The aircraft sustained structural damage to the rudder control mechanism and the forward fuselage.
- The training establishment identified that the student pilot was operating on a runway width that differed from their usual experience.