On August 12, 2007, a Cessna 195 (registration N1031D) was involved in an aviation accident near San Diego, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's inadequate compensation for a wind gust that ballooned the airplane during the landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing. A contributing factor was the wind gust. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot reported a hard landing on runway 27R after the airplane surged up and slammed down during the flare. The stall warning horn activated and the tail wheel touched before the sudden lift.
Incident Details
According to the pilot, the landing approach to runway 27R was normal. He requested the current winds from the local controller and was informed that winds were from 260 degrees at 7 knots with no reported wind gusts. The pilot flared the airplane for touchdown in a "three point landing attitude."
Sequence of Events
As the pilot flared, he heard the stall warning horn activate, as expected. He felt the tail wheel begin to contact the runway and was anticipating the main gear wheels to touch when he "felt the airplane quickly surge up and then slam down." The pilot reported that "it felt like a gust of wind lifted the airplane at the last moment." The airplane "stalled" at an altitude of 8 to 10 feet above the runway and struck the ground "extremely hard."
Pilot's Observations
The pilot stated that the stall warning horn sounded during the flare, and the tail wheel touched down before the unexpected lift occurred. He characterized the final impact as "extremely hard." No further details were provided regarding the aircraft's condition or the pilot's state.