Cargo plane 'bounced twice' during landing - report

A cargo plane suffered "substantial damage" after bouncing twice before coming to a stop on the runway at East Midlands Airport.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said an aircraft from Guernsey in the Channel Islands landed on its nose wheel at the airport in Castle Donington, Leicestershire, at 20:55 GMT on 14 November 2025.

The report said the pilot reduced power but the aircraft floated before pitching down sharply. The pilot and co-pilot were the only people on board and were not injured.

The nose landing gear was extensively damaged and replacement wheels had to be fitted so the aircraft could be towed away.

The AAIB concluded the shock of the situation may have hindered the pilot's decision-making.

It said: "The commander's decision-making capacity throughout the landing could have been affected as a result of a physiological and psychological response to the unexpected pitch down and bounce after the initial runway contact."

The report said the aircraft was loaded with 3,300kg of fuel and 3,858kg of freight for a scheduled cargo flight from the Channel Islands.

The pilot described the conditions as "far from ideal" but "well within safe operating limits", adding he had operated "in much worse conditions".

Both the pilot and co-pilot described the aircraft as delivering a "floating in the ground effect" as it was about to land.

The commander recalled the aircraft then dropping suddenly on to the runway.

He recalled this event as lasting only one or two seconds and that he was taken completely by surprise, and was unable to execute a go-around to prevent a touchdown.

The aircraft landed heavily and then bounced back into the air. The commander recalled raising the nose, but the aircraft bounced again.

Again, the commander felt taken by surprise, according to the report. After the second bounce, he did not want to apply power as he considered that, with the nose-down attitude, power would accelerate the aircraft into the ground.

As the aircraft touched down a third time, the commander stated it was apparent that the nose landing gear had been damaged and the plane was brought to a stop.

The aircraft manufacturer assessed the loading sustained during the heavy landing and determined the nose landing gear leg, drag brace, right main landing gear leg and shock absorber required replacing due to "exceeding their design load capacities".

The manufacturer also required the left main landing gear shock absorber to be removed and inspected to determine whether it remained in a serviceable condition.

The AAIB concluded the unexpected drop to the runway may have been a result of a change of airflow over the aircraft due to the turbulent conditions.

A spokesperson said: "It was only nine seconds from the start of the initial pitch-down to the aircraft finally landing.

"The commander's decision-making capacity throughout the landing could have been affected as a result of a physiological and psychological response to the unexpected pitch down and bounce after the initial runway contact."

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