N7278S

On July 22, 2000, at 1130 central daylight time, a Cessna 182S, N7278S, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged during a hard landing and the subsequent collision with a runway light on runway 12 (3,801 feet by 75 feet, concrete), at the Millard Airport (MLE), Millard, Nebraska. The flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was not operating on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, reported no injuries. The flight departed the Galesburg Regional Airport, Galesburg, Illinois, at 0900.

In a written statement the pilot said, "Weather at airport (MLE) was clear. I started on a long final. I let a Citabria land ahead of me. [On] final approach as I neared threshold of runway 12, I realized I would be short, so I added power. I bounced on initial ground contact. I applied full power hoping to go around but when I looked down the runway, I wasn't sure if I would safely clear the obstacles at the end of the runway. I tried to control the bouncing, but the plane started to porpoise. I realized the nose gear was damaged and I skidded off the edge of the runway until it stopped."

A postaccident examination of the aircraft did not reveal any anomalies that could be associated with a preexisting condition. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction in his written report.