What happened
On 1 May 1999, a Reims Cessna F150M, registration G-BDSL, was conducting a private flight at Netherthorpe Airfield in Nottinghamshire. The pilot was performing a practice circuit when the aircraft approached the runway with a slightly high airspeed and a low approach path.
During the flare, the aircraft began to climb. In an attempt to lower the nose, the pilot pushed the control column forward. This maneuver resulted in a nose-first touchdown followed by a bounce. The pilot again applied forward pressure to the control stick, leading to a second impact on the nosewheel. This sequence caused the failure of the nose landing gear, and the aircraft eventually came to a stop on the right side of the runway. There were no injuries to the pilot or the single passenger on board.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The examination focused on the sequence of control inputs during the landing phase and the resulting structural damage to the aircraft, which included the engine bulkhead, mounting, cowl, propeller, and nose landing gear.