What happened
On 21 July 2010, a Jabiru UL-450, registration G-BZMC, was conducting a training flight at Headon Farm Airstrip, near Gamston, Nottinghamshire. The flight was being conducted by an instructor accompanied by a student pilot, who was in the process of converting from a flex-wing aircraft to this three-axis-control type.
During the landing phase on the grass runway, the student pilot flared the aircraft too high, resulting in a bounce upon touchdown. In an attempt to recover from this bounce and complete the landing, the aircraft pitched nose-down. This movement caused the nose landing gear to collapse and the propeller to strike the ground for approximately 20 metres. The aircraft eventually came to a halt after rolling along the surface. There were no injuries to the two crew members on board.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight sequence and the actions taken by the crew. The student pilot reported that while the initial approach appeared normal, the high flare led to the bounce. The instructor noted that they attempted to apply power to prevent a stall during the flare, but the intervention was not sufficient to prevent the subsequent nose-down pitch and gear collapse. The investigation also noted the aircraft's damage included the nose landing gear, the propeller, and the underside of the nose cowling.