What happened
On 14 July 1998, a Reims Cessna F152, registration G-IBRO, was returning to Leicester Airport following a VFR navigation exercise. The aircraft was being operated as a private training flight by a student pilot. During the approach to Runway 28, the airfield was experiencing gusting winds from 280° at 20 knots.
Upon the initial landing attempt, the aircraft bounced on touchdown because of a sudden loss of lift during the flare phase. The pilot subsequently initiated a go-around. During a second attempt to land, the aircraft encountered similar aerodynamic issues. This second touchdown resulted in the collapse of the nose landing gear and caused the propeller to make contact with the runway surface. The aircraft came to a halt on the runway, and there were no injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report submitted by the pilot. The examination focused on the sequence of the landing attempts and the environmental conditions present at the time of the accident. The investigation established that the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the propeller and the nose landing gear.