Pilot Debrief

CESSNA R172K near Page, AZ — 2009-07-01

Final reportWPR09LA480
Sign in to save
Date
2009-07-01
Location
Page, AZ, USA
Airport
PGA
Aircraft
CESSNA R172K
Registration
N1055V
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

The pilot's improper landing flare and inadequate recovery from a bounced landing.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that during a landing, the airplane touched down hard and bounced about 10 feet into the air. During the second bounce, the airplane flew in a nose-high pitch attitude until the airspeed bled off, then the airplane touched down hard a third time. The pilot taxied to the ramp and requested that a local mechanic inspect the airplane for obvious evidence of external damage. The mechanic accomplished an external inspection without looking inside the airplane or removing the engine's cowling and reported no obvious external damage. The pilot continued her cross-country flight and, a few days later, concluded the flight and returned the airplane to the fixed base operator. Several days after that, it was determined that the firewall had been substantially damaged, consistent with a hard landing accident.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Controlled flight into terrain
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted landing after first bounce to prevent damage.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • ADS-B / radar
  • 17 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents17

Related mishaps