Incident Overview
On 16 November 2019 at 13:33 local time, a Cessna 172N, registration EC-HSM, was involved in an incident during landing at Cuatro Vientos Airport in Madrid, Spain. The aircraft had departed from the same airport for a solo instructional flight under visual flight rules. While landing on runway 27, the landing gear made abnormally hard contact with the runway surface. This resulted in a blowout of the nose wheel and damage to the propeller blades, the nose gear strut, and the firewall. The aircraft came to a stop approximately 500 meters from the runway threshold and was subsequently towed to a helicopter parking area on the apron. No fire occurred, and no other property was damaged.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The aircraft was a Cessna 172N, a two-seat, single-engine airplane with a Lycoming O-320-H2AD engine and a two-blade propeller. Its empty weight was 682 kg, and maximum takeoff weight was 1089 kg. The serial number was 172-68875, and it had been registered with the Spanish Civil Aviation Authority on 19 March 2001. The airworthiness review certificate was renewed on 18 October 2019, valid for one year. At the time of renewal, the airframe had accumulated 14,584 flight hours, and the engine had 1,749 hours since overhaul.
The pilot was a student pilot and was the sole occupant; he was uninjured and exited the aircraft unaided. Specific details about the pilot's medical certification and flight experience were requested from the chief instructor of the operator, Aerotec, but were not provided despite repeated requests. Therefore, the investigation relied on the occurrence report filed with the Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency's reporting system.
Weather and Communications
According to the automatic terminal information service, wind conditions at the time of the incident were variable at 3 knots, with a direction between 200° and 010°. The QNH was 1013 hPa. No significant navigational aids or communications issues were reported.
Investigation Findings
The investigation concluded that the probable cause of the incident was an incorrect landing maneuver due to an excessive approach speed, which led to an abnormal contact of the aircraft with the runway. The student pilot reported that after joining the left downwind leg for runway 27, the air traffic controller informed him that he was fourth in the landing sequence. No further pilot statements were available, as the operator did not provide an account of the flight. The aircraft was not equipped with flight data or cockpit voice recorders, as they were not required for this type of operation.
Damage Assessment
A post-incident examination revealed blowout of the nose wheel, deformation of the propeller blade tips from impact with the pavement, damage to the nose gear shock absorber, and distortion of the firewall.