What happened
On 21 August 2002, a Grob G115E Tutor, registration G-BYWV, was conducting a training flight at RAF Cosford in the West Midlands. The flight was a 30-day currency check for a handling pilot, supervised by a commander who was an RAF Officer on duty.
During the third landing of the flight, the aircraft was on a glide approach to Runway 06 with the wind at 350°/10 kt. The handling pilot maintained an approach speed of 70 KIAS with the flaps set to the 'LAND' position. The aircraft made contact with the runway in a three-point attitude but was traveling at a high speed. This resulted in a bounce that triggered a pilot-induced oscillation in pitch.
Although the commander took control of the aircraft and held the control stick slightly aft of neutral, the aircraft struck the runway heavily on its nosewheel before the crew could advance the throttle and RPM levers. The impact caused the nose gear to buckle and the propeller to strike the ground. There were no injuries to the two crew members on board.
The investigation
Investigators examined the sequence of events following the heavy touchdown. The investigation established that the aircraft's nose gear, engine bulkhead, and truss sustained damage, and the engine suffered a shockload. The inquiry also reviewed the flight profiles and the control inputs made by the crew during the oscillation event.