What happened
On 24 July 2001, a Cessna F152, registration G-BLWV, was performing a qualifying cross-country flight at Earls Colne Airfield in Essex. The flight was being conducted by a student pilot during a private operation. While approaching the grass runway 24L under light and variable wind conditions, the pilot identified that the aircraft was at a higher altitude than desired while established on final approach.
In an attempt to correct the glide path, the pilot deployed full flaps and maintained a steeper approach angle. During the landing flare, the airspeed was noted to be exceeding 6 and 0 kt. This resulted in the aircraft ballooning, prompting the pilot to push the nose down to compensate. The aircraft subsequently touched down on the nosewheel first and underwent a series of bounces. During the third bounce, the aircraft veered to the left, causing the nose landing gear to strike the edge of an adjacent asphalt taxiway. The propeller then made contact with the ground, bringing the aircraft to a stop. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the sequence of the approach and the pilot's subsequent actions during the landing phase. The examination established that the aircraft sustained damage to the engine, propeller, and nose landing gear.