What happened
On 27 January 2003, a Cessna 550 Citation II, registration CS-DHB, was performing a positioning flight from Paris Le Bourget to Aberdeen Airport. During the approach to Runway 34, the aircraft encountered significant turbulence and a gusting crosswind. As the aircraft neared the ground, the commander intervened on the controls to counter a perceived downdraft, resulting in a firm initial touchdown.
This first contact triggered a sequence of five increasingly severe bounces. The final bounce involved a significant nose-down pitch and a vertical load of 2.7 'g'. Following the fifth touchdown, the crew initiated a go-around. During the aborted landing, the aircraft's nose wheel rim disintegrated, leaving debris on the Aberdeen runway.
After being notified of the runway debris, the crew entered a holding pattern to consult with company operations via satellite telephone. They evaluated the integrity of the landing gear and considered various diversion options. The crew eventually decided to divert to Glasgow Airport, where wind conditions were more favourable. Before landing at Glasgow, the crew performed a low-level flypast to allow ground personnel to visually inspect the gear. Finding the gear appeared intact, they proceeded with a normal landing, though the nose wheel was found to be damaged upon arrival.