Accident Details
On 23 June 2005 at 1500 UTC, a Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee, registration G-ZEBY, was involved in a landing accident at Full Sutton Airfield, Yorkshire. The aircraft was built in 1973 and powered by one Lycoming O-320-E2A piston engine. The flight was part of training for a Private Pilot's Licence, with the 52-year-old student pilot as the sole occupant. The pilot held a student pilot licence and had accumulated 24 hours of flying experience, all on the same type, with 9 hours in the last 90 days and 4 hours in the last 28 days. No injuries were reported.
Sequence of Events
The pilot was conducting his second solo flight. Weather conditions included wind from 260° magnetic at 4 knots and visibility greater than 10 km. After completing five successful circuits, the pilot lined up for a landing on grass Runway 22. During the landing, the aircraft touched down and bounced back into the air. It then descended and bounced again heavily. The pilot applied full throttle to initiate a go-around, but the aircraft's pitch attitude was below the horizon, causing it to touch down heavily on its nose landing gear. The nose gear collapsed, and the propeller was damaged. The pilot shut down the engine and exited the aircraft via the cabin door.
Pilot Report
In his report, the pilot candidly admitted that he had misjudged his height during the flare, which resulted in the initial bounce. He stated that the severity of the bounce took him by surprise and that he applied power at the wrong time to successfully execute a go-around.
Aircraft Damage
The aircraft sustained a collapsed nose landing gear and damage to the propeller. No other damage was noted.