Primary finding
Probable cause
the pilot's misjudged landing flare and improper bounced landing recovery. A contributing factor was his lack of recent flying experience.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
According to the pilot, at the conclusion of his 2.5-hour-long flight he entered the traffic pattern and observed that the airplane was slightly high. On final approach, he believed that the airplane was slightly low, so he reduced the landing flaps to the 10-degree setting. He then realized that he had misjudged his altitude and was, in fact, high. The pilot further reported that he misjudged the airplane's rate of descent, which he characterized as excessive, and the airplane touched down hard on the runway. Thereafter, the airplane bounced, recontacted the runway, bounced again, and came to rest with a collapsed nose gear strut and bent firewall. The pilot had received a biennial flight review the morning of the accident flight. Prior to the BFR, he had not flown an airplane in 2 years.
Source record
Factual narrative
On August 29, 1996, at 1630 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N9315E, experienced a hard landing at the Auburn Municipal Airport, Auburn, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged, and neither the private pilot nor the passenger was injured. The flight originated from Lompoc, California, at 1400. According to the pilot, he made a traffic pattern approach to the airport and was slightly high on the downwind leg. On final approach, he believed that the airplane was slightly low, so he reduced the landing flaps to the 10-degree setting. He then realized that he had misjudged his altitude and was, in fact, high. The pilot further reported that he misjudged the airplane's rate of descent and attempted a short field landing. He attempted to flare, but the airplane continued its "excessive rate of descent" and it contacted the runway, bounced, recontacted the runway, bounced, and came to rest with a collapsed nose gear strut and bent firewall. Regarding the pilot's currency, he received a biennial flight review the morning of the accident flight. Prior to the BFR, he had not flown an airplane in 2 years. -