On June 18, 1999, a Cessna 172N (registration N5266J) operated by Aims Community College was involved in an aviation accident near Platteville, CO. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain control during a bounced landing, which resulted in the collapse of the nose landing gear and subsequent damage to the right wing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 10 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
Aircraft sustained extensive right wing damage after bouncing three times upon touchdown at a private airport, resulting in nose landing gear collapse and skidding to a halt.
What happened
The pilot operated the aircraft at a private airport, completing a landing before turning around on the runway for another departure. After taking off again, the pilot remained within the airport traffic pattern with the intention of executing another landing. During the subsequent approach and touchdown, the contact with the runway was described as firm. The airplane bounced three times in succession. Following these bounces, the nose landing gear collapsed. The aircraft then skidded along the ground until it came to a complete stop.
The investigation
Examination of the wreckage revealed that the collapse of the nose landing gear resulted in extensive damage to the right wing of the airplane.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control during a bounced landing, which resulted in the collapse of the nose landing gear and subsequent damage to the right wing.