Aircraft and Flight Information
The accident involved a Cessna A150L Aerobat, registration G-BOYU, manufactured in 1974. The aircraft was powered by a single Continental Motors Corp O-200-A piston engine. The flight was a training sortie, specifically a qualifying solo navigation exercise, with the student pilot as the sole occupant.
Pilot Experience
The pilot, aged 42, held a student licence and had accumulated 105 flying hours, all on the accident type. In the last 90 days he had flown 14 hours, and 4 hours in the previous 28 days.
History of the Flight
The student flew the aircraft back to Barton (Manchester) Airfield at the conclusion of his solo navigation exercise. He completed an overhead join for Runway 27L. The surface wind was from 270 degrees at 7 knots. The approach was reported as normal, but the sun was low on the horizon, and the aircraft had no sun visor.
Accident Sequence
During the flare for landing, the pilot's seat moved back slightly. While still holding the control yoke, he inadvertently applied excessive aft elevator input. This caused the aircraft to bounce. In an attempt to level the aircraft, the student moved the control yoke forward, but due to the sun in his eyes, he had difficulty assessing the aircraft's pitch attitude. Consequently, the nose landing gear struck the ground and collapsed.
Aftermath
The student switched off the fuel and electrical systems and vacated the aircraft normally. The only damage reported was to the nosewheel assembly. No injuries were sustained by the pilot.