Incident Overview
On 18 December 1998 at 1328 UTC, a Reims Cessna F152, registration G-BJKY, sustained damage during a landing at Blackpool Airport. The aircraft was manufactured in 1981 and powered by a single Lycoming O-235-L2C piston engine. The flight was private, with only a student pilot on board; no passengers were carried. The pilot, aged 65, held a student license and had accumulated 66 flying hours, of which 64 were on the accident aircraft type. His recent flying experience included 12 hours in the last 90 days and 7 hours in the last 28 days.
Sequence of Events
Approaching Runway 13 in the standard landing configuration, the surface wind was reported as 140°/09 kt with some turbulence. As the pilot initiated the flare, a gust was encountered. He corrected for the gust's effect, but before the flare could be completed, the aircraft contacted the runway and bounced. The pilot then attempted to re-land the aircraft without increasing power. The aircraft contacted the runway in a nose-down attitude and bounced again, causing damage to the nose landing gear that prevented the pilot from taxiing clear of the runway.
Damage Assessment
The nosewheel tyre burst, the nosewheel cracked, the engine frame broke, and the propeller tips were damaged. No injuries to the pilot were reported.
Pilot's Assessment
The pilot considered that the cause of the accident was his failure to initiate a go-around following the first bounce. Although the student pilot was in current flying practice, the flying school is reviewing its requirement for dual checks prior to solo flights.