Incident
On 15 November 1998 at 1352 UTC, a Piper PA-28-140 (registration G-AZWD) was landing on Runway 30 at Cardiff Airport, Wales. The surface wind was 320° at 11 knots. The aircraft was observed to sink rapidly and touch down on all three wheels, then bounce. It contacted the runway again in a nose-down attitude before bouncing a second time. During the second contact, a large cloud of smoke emanated from the nosewheel area.
After the second bounce, the pilot executed a go-around and completed an uneventful circuit and landing. However, as he lowered the nosewheel onto the runway, the pilot realized something was wrong with the landing gear and brought the aircraft to a stop on the runway before shutting down the engine.
Damage
Subsequent examination revealed that the nosewheel tyre had burst, and there was substantial damage to the nose landing gear and the propeller.
Pilot Information
The pilot, aged 54, held a Private Pilot's Licence and had a total of 80 flying hours, of which 11 were on type. In the 90 days preceding the accident, he had flown 2 hours, with none in the last 28 days. The two persons on board (one crew, one passenger) were uninjured.
Cause
The pilot considered that the cause of the accident was the incorrect technique used when correcting for the first bounce.