Synopsis
On November 22, 2019, at approximately 09:20 local time (14:20 UTC), a Cessna 152, registration HK2872G, operated by Escuela de Aviación del Pacífico, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing at Alfonso Bonilla Aragón Airport in Cali, Colombia. The sole occupant, a 19-year-old student pilot, was uninjured. The flight was the student's first solo after completing a 1.5-hour dual instruction session earlier that morning.
Flight Sequence
The student began the day with a dual flight at 07:00 local under the supervision of a flight instructor. After 1.5 hours, the instructor assessed the student's proficiency and authorized her first solo flight, consisting of two normal traffic patterns with touch-and-go landings and a final full-stop landing. At 09:00 local, the student started the solo mission. During taxi to Runway 02, the control tower instructed her to perform a "rolling takeoff," a maneuver she had not practiced. Not executing it, she entered the runway but was told to exit at Bravo intersection; she instead exited at Charlie. After regrouping, she departed normally at 09:08 local and executed a right-hand traffic pattern for the same runway.
On final approach to Runway 02, the aircraft passed above the normal touchdown point, then descended steeply. The nose wheel contacted the runway hard, causing the propeller to strike the ground. The aircraft bounced and impacted again, collapsing the nose gear. It came to rest on the left side of the runway between taxiways A and B, oriented 180 degrees. The student secured the aircraft and evacuated unhurt.
Aircraft Damage
The Cessna 152 suffered major damage: collapse of the nose landing gear, propeller blade damage, sudden engine stoppage, damage to the engine mounts, firewall wrinkling, exhaust system damage, and lower cowling damage. No fuel leak or fire occurred.
Personnel Information
The student pilot, aged 19, held a student pilot license (APA) and a valid medical certificate through September 14, 2020. She had a total of 34 flight hours, all in the Cessna 152, with 18 hours in the previous 30 days. No dual instruction was given on the day of the incident before the solo.
Probable Cause
The investigation determined the probable cause was the student's practice of inadequate techniques by conducting an unstabilized approach, failing to correct, not opting for a go-around, and continuing the landing under conditions that resulted in abnormal runway contact. A contributing factor was deficient oversight by the training center of students' capabilities, knowledge, and skills before authorizing solo flights.