What happened
On 5 July 1999, a Piper PA-28-180, registration G-ATHR, was involved in a landing accident at Henlow Airfield, Bedfordshire. The flight was a private training session, marking the student pilot's first solo operation. Weather conditions at the time were favorable, with light winds measuring less than 5 knots.
The approach, including the downwind, base, and final legs, proceeded without incident. However, upon touchdown, the aircraft experienced a bounce. Following this bounce, the aircraft assumed a nose-down attitude. The pilot did not correct this pitch change before the aircraft made a second contact with the runway.
Following the impact, the aircraft was taxied carefully to the control tower. A subsequent inspection identified substantial damage to the propeller and the nose landing gear, along with evidence of shock loading to the engine.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The inquiry focused on the sequence of the landing and the physical state of the aircraft following the impact. There were no injuries to the pilot during the event.