Summary
On September 26, 2009, a Cessna 182 (N1040D) was involved in an incident near Parowan, UT. All 5 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's improper flare and recovery from a bounced landing.
The pilot reported that on his second landing approach in dark night conditions, he observed that he was above the glide slope "..so I lowered the nose further to maintain glide slope. As we approached the end of the runway I flattened out my descent. I landed flat, with all three tires hitting the runway simultaneously. We [the airplane] bounced off the runway, which I had never experienced before. Unsure of what to do, I pushed in on the [control] yoke to get back down on the runway." The pilot stated that this made the second bounce worse than the first. He then tried to pull back on the yoke to prevent the airplane from bouncing a third time, "…but that didn't help.
This incident is documented in NTSB report WPR09CA469. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N1040D.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's improper flare and recovery from a bounced landing.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot reported that on his second landing approach in dark night conditions, he observed that he was above the glide slope "..so I lowered the nose further to maintain glide slope. As we approached the end of the runway I flattened out my descent. I landed flat, with all three tires hitting the runway simultaneously. We [the airplane] bounced off the runway, which I had never experienced before. Unsure of what to do, I pushed in on the [control] yoke to get back down on the runway." The pilot stated that this made the second bounce worse than the first. He then tried to pull back on the yoke to prevent the airplane from bouncing a third time, "…but that didn't help. It actually made the third bounce more pronounced than the previous two." The pilot reported that he feared another bounce would collapse the landing gear, which prompted him to attempt a go-around. The pilot stated, "I applied full power and tried a gentle climb. With the stall warning blaring I glanced at the airspeed, which indicated about 45 knots. I knew a stall was inevitable, and I felt the left wing fall, which was followed by an impact with the ground." The airplane's left wing sustained substantial damage. There was no post crash fire. The pilot reported that there were no anomalies noted with the airplane prior to the accident.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# WPR09CA469