What happened
On 10 February 2008, a Reims Cessna FRA150M Aerobat, registration G-BFGZ, was conducting a private flight when it experienced an accident at Popham Airfield in Hampshire. The aircraft was performing a standard approach to Runway 08. Upon touchdown, the aircraft bounced, and during the subsequent deceleration phase, the nose landing gear collapsed. The impact resulted in a bent propeller, a damaged cowling, and a collapsed nose leg. There were no injuries to the pilot or the single passenger on board. The airfield, which is an unlicensed grass strip, resumed operations approximately 15 minutes after the event, with no notable damage reported to the runway surface.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft's flight history and the environmental conditions at the time of the incident. Meteorological reports confirmed that the weather was CAVOK with calm winds, consistent with the pilot's report. The investigator noted that while the pilot was highly experienced in large public transport aircraft, he had only accumulated 20 hours of flight time on this specific aircraft type. The pilot suggested that the uneven and soft nature of the grass runway surface contributed to the incident.
Findings
- The primary cause of the gear collapse was the aircraft bouncing during the landing sequence.
- The pilot's recent transition from heavy airline operations to light general aviation meant he lacked recent experience with the specific demands of operating on grass airfields.