What happened
On 26 June 2001, a Cessna F172M, registration G-BIIB, was conducting a private flight from Coventry to Biggin Hill Airport in Kent. During the approach, the pilot was directed to land on Runway 11. At the time of the incident, weather conditions were clear with good visibility and a surface wind of 110 degrees at 15 knots.
As the aircraft approached the runway, the pilot encountered a significant upward slope in the runway surface. Due to an unfamiliarity with this specific runway feature, the pilot initiated the flare too early. This resulted in a heavy touchdown followed by several bounces. During the subsequent sequence of impacts, the nose landing gear collapsed, causing the propeller to strike the airfield surface. The impact caused shock loading to the engine and substantial damage to the nose gear and propeller.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The examination focused on the aircraft's flight path and the physical characteristics of the runway surface. The investigation established that the pilot was not accustomed to the specific gradient of Runway 11, which features a 0.45% up slope.
Findings
- The pilot's lack of familiarity with the runway's pronounced rise led to an excessively high flare.
- The heavy landing and subsequent bounces directly resulted in the structural failure of the nose landing gear.
- The pilot exited the aircraft without any injuries.