Introduction
A Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee, registration G-BCGJ, was involved in an accident at Oxford Airport on 3 September 2011. The aircraft, manufactured in 1974, was operated on a training flight with a student pilot as the sole occupant. The pilot held a student licence and had accumulated 70 hours of flying experience, all on the same type, with 5 hours in the last 90 days and 4 hours in the last 28 days.
Flight Details
The student had completed five dual circuits, which an instructor described as well flown. The instructor instructed the student to delay flying solo circuits until the cloudbase rose above 1,500 ft above aerodrome level. Approximately 30 minutes later, the cloudbase had risen sufficiently, and the instructor, who was flying in another aircraft, authorised the student by radio to conduct a session of solo circuits. Runway 19 was in use, and the air traffic control reported the surface wind as 210° at 14 kt.
Accident Sequence
The student flew two circuits successfully. On the third circuit, the aircraft was observed to bounce on landing and became airborne again. It then pitched nose-down before bouncing a second time. Following the second bounce, the aircraft struck the runway, causing the nose landing gear to detach. The aircraft remained on the runway, sliding to a halt on its nose.
Aftermath
After the aircraft came to a stop, the student turned the fuel selector, ignition, and battery master switch to OFF and vacated the aircraft. The accident resulted in damage to the nose landing gear, propeller, engine cowling, and the engine was shock-loaded. The student pilot reported no injuries.
Instructor Comments
The instructor noted that the student had been trained to initiate a go-around after a bounced landing. The instructor indicated that additional training on this procedure would be provided to assist the student in regaining confidence following the accident.