What happened
On 6 July 2001, a Cessna F150L, registration G-BGBI, was conducting a private flight departing from the grass runway at Rochester Airport, Kent. After taking off from runway 34, the pilot entered the airport circuit. During the downwind leg of the approach, the pilot observed a dark storm cloud positioned within the final approach area.
In an attempt to avoid the approaching weather, the pilot elected to initiate the turn onto the base leg earlier than is standard procedure. This maneuver resulted in a shortened final approach leg. Consequently, the aircraft was traveling at an excessive speed for the remaining distance. To compensate for the high velocity, the pilot performed a round-out at a high altitude, attempting to allow the airspeed to bleed off before touchdown. The aircraft struck the ground with significant force and subsequently bounced. Upon the second impact with the runway, the nose landing gear collapsed.
The investigation
Investigators examined the sequence of the approach and the aircraft's flight path. The investigation established that the pilot's decision to deviate from the standard approach pattern to avoid weather led to a lack of sufficient distance to manage the aircraft's energy. The physical damage to the aircraft included significant damage to the propeller and the nose landing gear.