On May 5, 1984, a Cessna 177 (registration N2959X) was involved in an aviation accident near Hobart, IN. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's decision to force the aircraft onto the runway during a high-and-hot approach, which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent structural damage. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot attempted to correct a high-and-hot approach by forcing the aircraft onto the runway, resulting in a hard nose-gear impact that led to further damage after taxiing off.
What happened
During the final phase of flight, the pilot determined that the aircraft was approaching the runway at an excessive altitude and airspeed. In an effort to arrest the descent and ensure touchdown within the available runway length, the pilot pushed the nose forward and forced the aircraft onto the pavement.
The impact with the runway surface was severe, causing the nose landing gear to strike the ground hard and bounce. Following this initial impact, the pilot managed to recover control of the aircraft and continued the landing roll. Upon inspection after coming to a stop, the pilot discovered that the nose gear tire had gone flat.
The investigation
The pilot taxied the aircraft off the active runway onto the adjacent sod. During this maneuver, the aircraft nosed over due to the compromised nose gear structure. This secondary event resulted in significant damage to the propeller assembly and the engine firewall.
Findings
hard landing on the nose landing gear during an attempted go-around correction
nose gear tire flat prior to taxiing off the runway
propeller damage sustained after the aircraft nosed over into soft ground
firewall damage resulting from the nose-over incident
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to force the aircraft onto the runway during a high-and-hot approach, which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent structural damage.