No fatalities

27 Jul 2009: CESSNA 177 — PAUL E. DION — Towanda, PA

Towanda, PA, United States

On 27 Jul 2009, a CESSNA 177 operated by PAUL E. DION was involved in an aviation accident near Towanda, PA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The failure of the pilot to maintain control of the airplane during a go around following a bounced landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot reported a bounced landing during a go-around, resulting in the airplane departing the left side of the runway, striking signs and lights, and impacting rocks. No mechanical issues were noted.

Incident Overview

During a landing approach, the pilot reported that the airplane was slightly high on final for a 4,300-foot long by 75-foot wide runway. Maintaining a slight amount of power for the flare, the airplane impacted the runway and bounced. After an additional bounce, the pilot initiated a go-around.

Go-Around and Runway Excursion

Applying full power, the pilot retracted the flaps incrementally from full flaps to 30 degrees, then to 15 degrees, and finally to 0 degrees. The airplane then departed the left side of the runway, striking a sign, a taxiway light, and a runway edge light approximately 2,300 feet beyond the approach threshold. Subsequently, the airplane descended an embankment located about 65 feet from the runway centerline and impacted rocks.

Post-Incident Examination

A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane and noted damage to the firewall and the left wing. The pilot informed the inspector that the airplane had functioned normally, with no mechanical problems.

Contributing factors

Performance/control parameters — Not attained/maintainedPilot