On June 28, 2006, a Cessna 177A (registration N30328) was involved in an aviation accident near Olympia, WA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's inadequate recovery from a bounced landing which resulted in a hard landing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot reported a porpoising landing resulting in two hard impacts before stabilizing the aircraft on the runway, leading to subsequent propeller and firewall damage inspection.
What happened
During the final phase of flight, the pilot initiated the flare for touchdown. Upon contact with the runway surface, the aircraft experienced a porpoising motion, characterized by repetitive pitching oscillations. The airplane struck the ground hard twice during this sequence before the pilot successfully stabilized the descent and completed the landing gently.
Following the rollout, the pilot taxied the aircraft to a parking area for inspection. During this post-landing check, visible damage was identified on the propeller assembly. An FAA inspector subsequently examined the airframe and confirmed additional structural damage to the firewall.