Cessna 172S Skyhawk, G-SOOA, 18 May 2010
Cessna 172S Skyhawk, G-SOOA
Summary:
The solo recreational flight was returning to Chichester for a landing on Runway 24. The wind was reported as 210° and varying between 15 and 20 kt. Approaching the airfield perimeter on final approach, the instruments indicated a reduction in airspeed so power was applied. This resulted in an airspeed increase to approximately 85 kt. The aircraft passed the threshold at a reported height of 200 ft. The pilot reduced power and pitched the aircraft up to reduce speed. The rate of descent increased. He flared the aircraft at an airspeed of approximately 75 kt and was seen to touch down beyond the intersection with Runway 14/32. The aircraft was observed to bounce three times, the final time achieving an estimated 45° pitch-up attitude before pitching nose-down and landing heavily on the nosewheel. It came to a halt near to the end of the runway. The pilot taxied the aircraft off the runway and towards the tower. ATC reported that the nose oleo had suffered damage and advised the pilot to stop and shut down. Debris from the front spat was subsequently removed from the runway. Later inspection revealed that the nose gear oleo, propeller tips and front spat had been damaged and that the engine may have been shock loaded and the firewall damaged. The UK AIP for Chichester contains the warning “Pilots may experience windshear on runways 06 and 24 particularly in strong wind conditions”. The pilot assessed that causal factors included being too high during the final approach, being faster than planned on touchdown and being too far down the runway to permit a safe go-around for the given obstacles at the end of the runway. He stated that he should have aborted the landing at 200 ft and gone around.
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