Occurrence
On Tuesday, 6 August 2024, at 0730Z, a Cessna 150 aircraft with registration ZS-PUW departed on a solo training flight from Cape Winelands Aerodrome (FAWN) in the Western Cape province, South Africa. The flight was conducted under visual meteorological conditions (VMC) by day and in accordance with Part 141 of the Civil Aviation Regulations (CAR) 2011, as amended. The student pilot, who held a Student Pilot Licence (SPL) issued on 5 April 2024, had accumulated 44.2 total flying hours on the aircraft type and was on his fourth solo consolidation flight.
Sequence of Events
The student pilot initially completed three uneventful touch-and-go landings accompanied by an instructor. After the instructor disembarked, the student pilot took off from Runway 05, climbed to 800 ft above ground level (AGL), performed after-take-off checks, then turned crosswind and continued climbing to 1200 ft AGL before turning left downwind and conducting downwind checks. The wind was from 050° to 080° at 5 knots. On final approach with flaps at 30 degrees and airspeed at 70 knots, the student pilot radioed his intention to land on Runway 05. The aircraft was slightly left of the runway centreline; the student pilot attempted to correct with right rudder. Touchdown occurred at 60 knots, the aircraft bounced, then impacted the runway hard on the nose gear. The nose gear broke off and the propeller struck the runway. The student pilot did not attempt a go-around and was not injured. The aircraft came to rest at GPS coordinates 33°46'18.70" South, 018°44'23.34" East, elevation 414 ft.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The Cessna 150 (serial number 150-59992) had a valid Certificate of Airworthiness issued on 11 August 2024, expiring 31 August 2025. The last annual inspection was on 10 June 2024 at 4783.5 total airframe hours, with a Certificate of Release to Service valid until 9 June 2025 or 4883.8 hours, whichever occurred first. No defects were recorded in the maintenance documents. The pilot held a valid Class 2 medical certificate issued on 20 March 2024, expiring 20 March 2025, with a restriction to wear corrective lenses.
Findings
The investigation determined that the student pilot delayed the flare during landing, causing the nosewheel to strike the runway hard and bounce. Consequently, the nose gear collapsed and the wheel separated from the aircraft, leading to the propeller striking the runway. Fine weather prevailed and was not considered a contributory factor.