On December 12, 1994, a Piper PA-18 (registration N717DR) was involved in an aviation accident near Palmer, AK. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's misjudgment of height and speed during the flare, which resulted in a hard landing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot attempting to land a wheel/ski equipped aircraft on a snow-covered lake misjudged the initial approach, performed a go-around, and subsequently experienced a hard landing due to excessive flare height.
What happened
The pilot was operating a wheel/ski equipped airplane with the intention of landing on a frozen, snow-covered lake. During the initial phase of the operation, the pilot reported that he misjudged his first approach to land. Consequently, he executed a go-around to reposition for another attempt.
On the second approach, the pilot indicated that he flared too high during the final moments before touchdown. By the time he recognized this error in judgment, it was too late to recover from the resulting hard landing.
Probable cause
The pilot's misjudgment of height and speed during the flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
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