Flight Description
On the morning of 5 July 2017, the pilot arrived at Locarno Airport (LSZL) and decided to take a spontaneous pleasure flight after finding the Reims Aviation RA F152, registered HB-CCD, available. After standard pre-flight preparations and studying the newly installed radio communication device, the pilot departed. The flight lasted approximately 45 minutes without complications.
Accident Sequence
The aircraft entered final approach for runway 26R with full flaps. According to the pilot, approach speed was 60 knots until just before the threshold, where he began the flare with a slow reduction of engine power to idle. Flarm collision warning system data indicate the first ground contact occurred at a descent rate of 395 feet per minute and a ground speed of approximately 65 knots. The pilot felt the aircraft bounce and briefly considered a go-around but decided to attempt another landing. Two further contacts ensued, with the nose-down pitch attitude increasing to 30°. At the third contact, the propeller struck the runway, leaving a visible groove. During the fourth contact, the nose gear support tube bent, causing the aircraft to slide on its nose and come to a stop at the right edge of the runway. The pilot remained uninjured and exited the wreckage unaided.
Analysis
Flarm data indicated an approach angle of slightly more than 3°. Based on the pilot's account, engine rpm likely had not reached idle at first touchdown. The flare was too gentle and speed too high, resulting in a bounced landing. The Pilot's Operating Handbook specifies a balked landing speed of 55 knots with flaps at 20°; given the aircraft's low landing weight, a go-around from 65 knots after the first bounce was still possible. The pilot's decision to attempt a second landing rather than execute a go-around was not appropriate given the circumstances. Considering the pilot's limited recent flight experience (45 minutes in the preceding 90 days), stress likely led him to push the controls forward, exacerbating the nose-down attitude and causing the hard subsequent impacts and eventual structural failure.