What happened
On December 5, 2000, at approximately 10:19 UTC, a CESSNA C152, registration I-AMDB, was involved in an accident during a flight training maneuver at Rome Urbe airport. The aircraft was being operated by a student pilot performing their second solo flight as part of a Private Pilot License training program. During the landing phase, the aircraft experienced a bounce on the runway, which subsequently led to the failure of the nose landing gear and resulting damage to the propeller. There were no injuries reported following the incident.
The investigation
The ANSV investigation focused on the flight parameters and the pilot's maneuvers during the approach and touchdown. The investigation established that the student pilot had very limited flight experience, having completed only one previous solo flight prior to this event. During the inquiry, the pilot stated that they realized too late that the aircraft was not properly aligned with the runway centerline. In an attempt to correct the aircraft's alignment while still maintaining high ground speed, the pilot induced an abnormal contact with the asphalt surface, triggering the bounce and the subsequent structural failure of the nose gear.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the incorrect execution of the landing maneuver.
- The pilot's late recognition of the aircraft's misalignment led to improper corrective actions.
- The high speed during the corrective attempt caused the impact that broke the nose gear and damaged the propeller.