On September 11, 1999, a Cessna 172M (registration N8995V) was involved in an aviation accident near Tahola, WA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's inadequate directional control during a bounced landing on a cleared roadway, which resulted in the right wing impacting trees. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An aircraft bounced during a landing attempt on a cleared roadway, veered right upon touchdown, and struck trees due to inadequate directional control by the pilot.
What happened
The incident occurred while the aircraft was attempting to land on a roadway that had recently been cleared for use. During the initial touchdown phase, the aircraft bounced back into the air rather than settling onto the surface.
Upon the second contact with the ground, the aircraft veered sharply to the right. The pilot attempted to maintain directional control through corrective inputs; however, these efforts were insufficient to prevent the right wing from striking trees located along the edge of the landing area.
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate directional control during a bounced landing on a cleared roadway, which resulted in the right wing impacting trees.