On April 16, 1996, a Bryan GLASAIR 3SH-3R (registration N7TR) was involved in an aviation accident near Sedona, AZ. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the pilot's misjudged landing flare which resulted in a hard, bounced landing, and his improper recovery technique. A contributing factor was the pilot's failure to attain a proper initial touchdown point on the runway surface during dusk light conditions. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a landing at dusk, the pilot executed a hard landing, causing a bounce. The nose gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over. Evidence showed initial touchdown off the left side of the runway, followed by collision with two runway lights.
Incident Details
At dusk, the pilot performed a landing that was described as hard. The aircraft bounced upon touchdown, after which the nose gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over. The aircraft came to rest 20 feet beyond the left side of the runway and 1,500 feet from the threshold.
Examination of Evidence
An airport official reported that an examination of the runway impact and tire track evidence indicated that the airplane initially touched down with its left main landing gear tire off the left side of the runway surface. Following that off-runway touchdown, the airplane collided with two left side runway lights before coming to a stop.
Damage
The nose gear collapsed and the airplane nosed over as a result of the hard landing and subsequent bounce. Collision with the two runway lights also occurred.
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