No fatalities

Bounced Landing Results in Propeller Strike and Firewall Damage

Henderson, TX, United States

On October 15, 2010, a CESSNA 182K was involved in an aviation accident near Henderson, TX. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during the landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

During landing flare on runway 17, the airplane became heavy and sank, contacting the runway. Multiple bounces caused nose wheel tire failure and propeller strike. Pilot recovered and landed. Post-flight inspection revealed bent firewall.

Incident Overview

According to a written statement from the pilot, the event occurred during the landing flare to runway 17. The pilot reported that the airplane "got heavy" and began to sink. The airplane subsequently contacted the runway and bounced several times. During the impacts, the nose wheel tire failed and the propeller struck the runway surface.

Pilot Actions and Landing

In response, the pilot added engine power, regaining control of the airplane. The pilot was then able to complete the landing and taxi to the end of the runway. No further incidents occurred during the rollout or taxi.

Post-Inspection Findings

Following the landing, an examination of the airplane revealed that the firewall had been bent. The pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies that could have contributed to the event. The extent of damage was limited to the firewall, nose wheel tire, and propeller.

Contributing factors

PilotPerformance/control parameters — Not attained/maintained