What happened
On 1 September 2006, a Cessna R182, registration G-BOWO, was conducting a private flight at Wolverhampton Airport. The pilot had recently acquired the aircraft and had been performing circuits using Runway 22, which features a downslope and a length of 574 m.
During the flight, the pilot initially aborted a landing attempt and departed the circuit for a local flight. Upon returning to the airfield approximately 10 minutes later, the pilot attempted a second approach to Runway 22. As the aircraft touched down, the pilot encountered a sudden crosswind gust. This gust lifted the aircraft momentarily before it dropped back down, resulting in a heavy impact on the nosewheel. The Flight Information Service Officer observed the aircraft bounce and land nose-down, at which point the nose landing gear failed. There were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger, though the propeller and nose gear sustained damage.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the environmental conditions and the aircraft's handling during the landing phase. Investigators noted that the reported wind was 15 kt from 230 degrees, characterized by gusts. It was established that the maximum demonstrated crosswind component for the Cessna 182 series is 15 kt. The investigation also considered the pilot's recent experience with this specific aircraft type and the physical characteristics of the runway surface.