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Fast descent leads to bad bounce

By NTSB · February 21, 2014 ·

Aircraft: Cessna 172. Injuries: None. Location: Mokuleia, Hawaii. Aircraft damage: Substantial.

What reportedly happened: The accident happened during the approach to landing.

According to the pilot, as the airplane approached the runway, he realized that the descent rate was higher than normal. He was unable to stop the rapid descent and the airplane touched down hard, bounced, and began to porpoise.

He attempted to abort the landing, but the airplane yawed left, and the nose hit the ground, which caused the Cessna to nose over.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and the vertical stabilizer.

Probable cause: The pilot’s improper landing flare and inadequate recovery from a bounced landing.

NTSB Identification: WPR12CA088

This February 2012 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.

About NTSB

The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent federal agency charged by Congress with investigating every civil aviation accident in the United States and significant events in the other modes of transportation, including railroad, transit, highway, marine, pipeline, and commercial space. It determines the probable causes of accidents and issues safety recommendations aimed at preventing future occurrences.

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Comments

  1. Bluestar says

    February 24, 2014 at 5:52 am

    amazing what an airplane will do by itself, that’s why you need a pilot, to desend at an appropriate rate and respond to yaw or any other control input needed.

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