On May 3, 1994, a Cessna 421A (registration N2211W) was involved in an aviation accident near Richlands, VA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE HARD LANDING, AS A RESULT OF THE PILOT'S MISJUDGED RATE OF DESCENT. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S LIMITED EXPERIENCE IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL AIRPLANE. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot with only 6 hours in the aircraft model reported a hard landing where the nose vibrated and dropped abnormally. FAA inspectors found damage consistent with a hard impact, including both wings bent downward.
Incident Overview
A pilot reported that during an otherwise normal approach, the aircraft experienced an abnormal event upon touchdown. According to the pilot, the nose vibrated and went far below its normal position. In response, the pilot quickly applied full back pressure on the control yoke, which caused the main landing gear to return to the runway.
FAA Findings
FAA inspectors conducted an investigation and reported that the evidence and aircraft damage were consistent with a hard landing impact with the runway surface. During the examination, both wings were observed to be bent down.
Pilot Experience
The pilot had a total of 6 hours of flight experience in that model of aircraft. FAA inspectors noted that the pilot had minimal flight experience in this model airplane.