What happened
On 28 December 1997, a Reims Cessna F152, registration G-BHZH, was conducting a private training flight at Guernsey Airport. The flight was being conducted by a student pilot with 45 total flying hours. After completing two circuits accompanied by an instructor, the student proceeded to fly three solo circuits without any noted issues.
During the fourth solo circuit, while performing a touch-and-go landing, the aircraft experienced a heavy landing and a subsequent bounce. Following this event, the pilot noted that the aircraft's handling felt irregular, though no specific mechanical fault could be identified. Due to this uncertainty, the pilot decided to conclude the training session following one final landing.
On the final approach, which the pilot noted may have been at an excessively steep angle, the aircraft again experienced a heavy landing and bounced. This impact caused the nose landing gear to buckle. The pilot observed the nosewheel separating from the aircraft and rolling ahead of the fuselage. The aircraft then skidded to the right of Runway 27, where it struck a drainage ditch and rotated upwards. The aircraft settled heavily back onto the ground, resulting in the propeller striking the surface and bending.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The examination focused on the sequence of landings and the physical damage sustained by the aircraft, which included a collapsed nose landing gear, damage to the engine, propeller, and fuselage skin. The weather at the time of the incident was reported as good, with a light south-westerly wind of 5 knots.
Findings
- The primary cause of the gear failure was a heavy landing and subsequent bounce during the final approach.
- The pilot's approach angle on the final landing may have been too steep, contributing to the severity of the impact.
- The separation of the nosewheel occurred as a direct result of the landing gear buckling under the force of the impact.