What happened
On July 20, 2007, a student pilot was performing solo circuit training at Sazená Airport in a Cessna 150, registration OK-MRK. During the sixth flight of the session, the aircraft encountered a significant increase in wind speed and a sudden shift in wind direction. Local weather sensors recorded winds from 290° at 20 knots, with gusts up to 25 knots.
Following instructions from the flight instructor, the student pilot transitioned from Runway 15 to Runway 33 to account for the wind shift. The student performed the approach with flaps deployed at a speed of 80 MPH, which exceeded the 60-70 MPH range recommended in the manufacturer's manual. Upon touchdown, the aircraft experienced a series of increasing bounces. The student was unable to control the oscillations, leading to a heavy impact on the nose gear, which caused the nose wheel to break away from the aircraft. The aircraft came to rest on the runway, supported by its main gear and the propeller.
There were no injuries to the student pilot, and a post-accident sobriety test conducted by the police returned a negative result.
The investigation
The ÚZPLN investigation established that the aircraft was airworthy and all necessary documentation, including insurance and maintenance releases, were valid. The investigation also confirmed that the student pilot was properly licensed and medically certified. The investigation focused on the meteorological conditions and the pilot's handling of the aircraft during the landing phase.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the student pilot's failure to control the aircraft during landing under difficult meteorological conditions.
- A contributing factor was the student pilot's limited flight experience.
- The instructor's decision to terminate the solo training session occurred too late, as the change in weather had already begun to impact the flight safety.