What happened
On 27 August 2001, a Piper PA-38-112, registration G-BNGR, was conducting a solo qualifying cross-country flight from Teesside Airport to Gamston Airfield. The flight was being operated by a student pilot. Upon approaching Gamston, the pilot was informed that Runway 03 was active with a right-hand traffic pattern in use. Weather conditions were reported as good, with surface winds at 350°/10 kt.
While flying the downwind leg at 1,000 feet AGL, the pilot initiated the turn to the base leg. During the transition to the final approach, the pilot determined that the aircraft was too high on the glidepath and subsequently reduced engine power. The aircraft made contact with the runway on its main wheels approximately halfway down the runway, which triggered a bounce. The pilot attempted to continue the landing, but the aircraft underwent three or four additional bounces. This sequence of impacts caused the nose landing gear to collapse, and the aircraft eventually came to a stop on the right side of the runway. There were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. Investigators examined the flight path and the pilot's maneuvers leading up to the touchdown. The analysis focused on the sequence of turns and the power adjustments made during the approach phase.
Findings
- The pilot performed the turn from the downwind leg to the base leg too early.
- This early turn resulted in the aircraft being at a higher altitude and closer to the runway than typical for a standard approach.
- The corrective measures taken to compensate for the high altitude—specifically the reduction of power—resulted in a steep descent with low power.
- This flight profile led to the initial touchdown on the main wheels and the subsequent series of bounces that caused the gear failure.