What happened
On 20 September 2000, a Reims Cessna F1-50M, registration G-BFIY, was engaged in solo circuit consolidation training at Leeds-Bradford International Airport. The student pilot had recently completed a 35-minute dual refresher flight with an instructor. The weather conditions at the time were favorable, characterized by good visibility and light winds.
Following four successful circuits observed by the instructor, the student pilot attempted a fifth approach. Having noted a high flare on the previous landing, the pilot intended to delay the flare during this approach. However, during the flare maneuver, a gust of wind caused the aircraft to drift left of the runway centerline. In the process of correcting the aircraft's position, the pilot misjudged the flare height. This resulted in the aircraft bouncing multiple times on the runway before ultimately impacting the surface nose wheel first. The impact caused the nose landing gear to shear off, leading to the propeller and the underside of the fuselage making contact with 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 sequence of the student's flight maneuvers and the environmental conditions present during the landing. The investigation established that the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the propeller and the nose landing gear.