On March 10, 2002, a Cessna 172M (registration N4410R) was involved in an aviation accident near Tucson, AZ. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's decision to continue the landing after a high flare and hard bounce, which led to a porpoising event that damaged the firewall. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot flared too high during landing, causing a hard bounce and porpoising effect that damaged the firewall after she continued the descent rather than aborting.
What happened
The aircraft experienced a significant bounce upon initial touchdown during the landing phase. The pilot reported that she had flared too high, resulting in a hard impact with the runway surface. Rather than executing a go-around or aborting the landing attempt, she continued to pull back on the control yoke. This input caused the airplane to enter a porpoising motion, where it bounced off the nose gear approximately two additional times before coming to a complete stop.
The investigation
Examination of the aircraft revealed damage to the firewall structure. The mechanical failure was directly attributed to the repeated impacts from the nose gear bouncing during the uncontrolled porpoising sequence following the initial hard landing.
Probable cause
The pilot's decision to continue the landing after a high flare and hard bounce, which led to a porpoising event that damaged the firewall.
Frequently asked questions
What happened in the 10 Mar 2002 Cessna 172M accident near Tucson, AZ?
A pilot flared too high during landing, causing a hard bounce and porpoising effect that damaged the firewall after she continued the descent rather than aborting.
What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?
The accident on 10 Mar 2002 involved a Cessna 172M, registration N4410R, at Tucson, AZ.
What was the probable cause of the accident?
The pilot's decision to continue the landing after a high flare and hard bounce, which led to a porpoising event that damaged the firewall.
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