No fatalities

15 Mar 2012: CESSNA 177B — MORRISON BRYANT B — New Orleans, LA

New Orleans, LA, United States

On 15 Mar 2012, a CESSNA 177B operated by MORRISON BRYANT B was involved in an aviation accident near New Orleans, LA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s improper 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 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During a touch and go landing, the pilot applied right rudder to correct a left drift. Upon power reduction, the nose dropped, contacting the runway, causing a porpoise and nose gear damage.

Accident Overview

A pilot reported an incident during the second touch and go landing of a flight. According to the pilot's statement, he applied right rudder input to counteract a leftward drift of the airplane. When he reduced engine power to commence landing, the nose of the airplane dropped abruptly and contacted the runway surface. This contact led to a porpoising motion, during which the airplane oscillated nose-up and nose-down. The pilot regained control and successfully landed the airplane on the remaining runway length.

Damage Inspection

A postaccident examination revealed that the nose landing gear had been pushed upward, resulting in substantial damage to the firewall structure. The pilot reported that there were no failures or malfunctions of the airplane prior to or during the incident. No other damage was noted.

Pilot Report

The pilot provided the account of the event, stating that the application of right rudder was intended to correct the left drift. The sequence of events began when he reduced power, leading to the nose drop and subsequent porpoising. No further details regarding the aircraft type, registration, or flight conditions were provided in the source.

Contributing factors

PilotIncorrect use/operation