What happened
On 16 September 2009, a Grumman AA-5B Tiger, registration G-ROWL, was performing a private flight at Cotswold Airport (Kemble) in Gloucestershire. During the landing phase on Runway 08, the aircraft touched down approximately 140 metres past the runway threshold. The aircraft subsequently bounced and made a second touchdown, striking the nose landing gear first. Following this second impact, the aircraft became airborne again, prompting the pilot to initiate a go-around. The pilot requested a low-level circuit to complete the landing and, while on the base leg, asked the Control Tower for a visual inspection of the landing gear. The aircraft eventually landed without further incident.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the pilot's accident report, ATS occurrence reports, and AAIB enquiries. A subsequent runway inspection identified marks on the surface consistent with a propeller strike. Following the event, the aircraft maintenance organisation conducted an inspection which confirmed that the engine had sustained a shock-load. As a result of the inspection, the propeller required replacement, and the nose landing gear torque tube was also replaced.