Aircraft and Pilot Information
The aircraft involved was a Reims Cessna F152, registration G-BIUM, powered by a single Lycoming O-235-L2C piston engine. It was manufactured in 1980. The flight was a training sortie conducted by a solo student pilot, aged 54, who held a student pilot licence. The pilot had accumulated 73 hours of flying experience, all on the same aircraft type, with 6 hours in the last 90 days and 5 hours in the last 28 days.
History of the Flight
On 16 November 2007 at 1435 hours UTC, the pilot was completing a solo training exercise at Netherthorpe, South Yorkshire. He had set up an approach to land on Runway 24 with 30° of flap selected. During the flare, the aircraft ballooned, prompting the pilot to initiate a go-around. After applying full power, the pilot intended to retract the flaps by 10° but inadvertently moved the flap selector to 0°, fully retracting them. The aircraft descended rapidly and landed on its nosewheel, coming to a halt on the runway. The pilot was not injured.
Damage and Aftermath
Examination after the accident revealed damage to the nose landing gear leg and the engine bulkhead to which it was attached. The Chief Flying Instructor (CFI) of the training organisation confirmed that the student would receive additional training in correct techniques to avoid ballooning in the flare and in how to conduct a low-level go-around.