What happened
On 5 November 2009, a Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee, registration G-BCJN, was conducting a training flight at Bristol International Airport. The flight was being conducted by a student pilot following a solo navigation exercise.
During the attempt to land, the pilot experienced a high airspeed on the final approach. This resulted in the aircraft bouncing first on the main landing gear and subsequently onto the nose gear. Following this initial impact, the pilot performed a go-around and completed a circuit.
Upon the second approach, the aircraft's descent was low and fast, leading to several further bounces. The pilot rejected this second landing attempt as well. During this period, the student's instructor contacted air traffic control to request that continuous instructions be provided to the pilot to assist with the landing.
The investigation
Investigators examined the sequence of events and the physical state of the aircraft. The investigation established that the aircraft sustained damage to the nose gear axle, the torque link bumper block, and both propeller tips.
It was determined that the structural damage was a direct consequence of the repeated bounced landings. The investigation also noted that the damage sustained was unlikely to have significantly altered the aircraft's flight performance during the period of repeated go-arounds.