Primary finding
Probable cause
the pilot's improper flare and improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
According to the pilot, 'I came in for a normal landing and after the first touchdown the airplane ballooned back into the air.' The pilot further reported that 'I was too high, so I pushed the nose down.' The pilot stated that he was unaware of a propeller strike until after he taxied to parking and shut the engine down.
Source record
Factual narrative
On May 6, 1997, at approximately 1900 central daylight time, a Cessna 182K, N2740Q, was substantially damaged following a loss of control while landing at Adams Field, near Little Rock, Arkansas. The private pilot, sole occupant in the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was owned by the pilot and operated by the owner under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight which originated from Dumas, Arkansas, approximately 45 minutes before the accident. No VFR flight plan had been filed. According to the pilot, in an interview with the Investigator-In-Charge, "I came in for a normal landing and after the first touchdown the airplane ballooned back into the air." The pilot further reported that "I was too high, so I pushed the nose down." The pilot stated on the NTSB's Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report that he was unaware of the propeller strike until after he taxied to parking and shut the engine down. In addition to the propeller strike, the nose wheel landing gear was bent back and the firewall was wrinkled. -