What happened
On 25 August 2006, a Cessna 152 Aerobat, registration G-BRCD, was performing a private flight from Shoreham to White Waltham Airfield. The flight was conducted in clear weather with light winds. As the aircraft approached the grass runway, the pilot followed a circuit pattern that included a turn to finals prompted by a passenger.
While the approach was steeper than usual, the pilot maintained the descent. The initial touchdown appeared normal, and the aircraft began its landing roll smoothly. However, after several seconds, the aircraft struck a bump on the runway, causing it to become airborne and bounce twice. During the second heavy landing, the nose gear detached from the aircraft. The nose leg dug into the grass, causing the aircraft to pitch forward and come to rest upside down. Both the pilot and the passenger sustained minor injuries and were able to exit the aircraft through the main door.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and the circumstances of the landing. The aircraft sustained extensive damage, though no fire or fuel leaks occurred. The investigation focused on why the nose gear failed during the landing roll.
Examination of the nose gear assembly revealed that the fork had detached from the scissor link assembly on the shock strut. While photographs provided by the pilot indicated signs of an overload failure at the fork attachment point, investigators could not definitively determine if the failure was caused by an immediate overload or if it was preceded by a fatigue fracture.
Findings
- The aircraft struck a bump during the landing roll, leading to a series of bounces.
- The nose gear leg detached from the aircraft during the second heavy touchdown.
- A fatigue fracture in the nose gear leg was considered a possible contributing factor to the failure.
- The pilot had previously experienced hard landings where the nose gear had been affected, suggesting a potential history of stress on the component.