What happened
On 2 September 2002, a Piper PA-28-180 Cherokee, registration G-OIBO, was involved in an accident at Wellesbourne Mountford Airport. The aircraft was being operated by a student pilot conducting a solo training flight under favorable weather conditions characterized by very light winds.
During the landing phase, the aircraft bounced upon initial contact with the runway. In an attempt to stabilize the aircraft and recover from the bounce, the pilot maintained idle power and lowered the nose. This maneuver caused the propeller to make contact with the runway surface during the subsequent touchdown, leading to bent propeller tips.
Following the impact, the pilot successfully taxied the aircraft back to the parking area and shut down the engine. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The investigation examined the sequence of the landing and the pilot's response to the initial bounce. It was established that the student pilot had received instruction on the correct techniques for recovering from a bounced landing during his training program. The physical damage was limited to the propeller tips.