What happened
On December 6, 2020, a student pilot was conducting a solo instructional flight at Pucallpa International Airport in Peru. The aircraft, a Cessna C-152 with registration OB-1901, operated by Century Flight Academy, had successfully completed several training segments earlier in the day with an instructor. However, during the final landing segment of the solo flight, the pilot failed to complete the required flap configuration, maintaining only 10° of flaps instead of the programmed 20°.
This configuration error led to an increased approach speed and an unstable approach. As the aircraft transitioned through the flare, the pilot experienced an unusual roll and a nose-down attitude. This resulted in a heavy impact with the runway, causing the nose gear fork to fracture and the nose wheel to separate. The aircraft subsequently experienced a propeller strike and slid 127 meters along the left side of the runway, coming to a stop 355 meters from the runway threshold. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The CIAA investigation focused on the flight sequence, the mechanical failure of the nose gear, and the training procedures of the flight academy. Investigators examined the aircraft's maintenance history, noting that the nose gear had undergone a major overhaul in 2019 and had flown 794 hours since that service. Metallurgical analysis of the nose gear fork revealed that the fracture was caused by fatigue, accelerated by the extreme stresses of the heavy impact during landing.
The investigation also reviewed the flight academy's training manual. It was determined that the manual lacked specific procedures tailored to the Pucall and geographical references for the local airport traffic pattern. Furthermore, the manual did not incorporate standardized "stabilized approach" procedures recommended by the Flight Safety Foundation.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the loss of situational awareness by the student pilot, which led to an improper approach and an inability to control the aircraft during the flare.
- The pilot failed to extend flaps to the required 20°, resulting in excessive approach speed.
- The nose gear fork failed due to fatigue exacerbated by the high-stress impact of the heavy landing.
- The flight academy's training manual was not customized for the specific traffic patterns of Pucallpa International Airport.
- The academy's procedures did not include standardized stabilized approach criteria to prevent unstable landings.