Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 177 near Cottonwood, AZ — 2026-03-15

Final reportWPR26LA128
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Date
2026-03-15
Location
Cottonwood, AZ, USA
Airport
P52
Aircraft
CESSNA 177
Registration
N178DR
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot’s improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing.

NTSB narrative

The student pilot reported she was performing solo take-offs and landings. On the first landing attempt, the airplane bounced and the student then aborted the landing and re-entered the traffic pattern. On the next landing attempt, the airplane touched down on the nose landing gear. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and the fuselage side skins. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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