Accident Details
On July 30, 2012, at approximately 1345 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 182G airplane, registration N3198S, experienced a hard landing at Montrose Regional Airport (KMTJ) in Montrose, Colorado. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and firewall. The private pilot and a passenger on board were not injured.
Flight Information
The flight originated from Grand Junction Regional Airport (KGJT) in Grand Junction, Colorado, around 1315. The airplane was operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight without a flight plan. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that upon touchdown on runway 35, the airplane bounced. Initially, she believed it would settle back onto the runway without further incident, but the aircraft landed hard and bounced a second time. The pilot responded by slightly increasing engine power to regain control, but the airplane impacted nose wheel first and began to porpoise. Subsequent touchdowns, numbering two to three, became progressively harder, each with the nose wheel contacting the runway before the main landing gear. The airplane eventually came to rest near the right edge of the runway in a nose-down attitude. The pilot noted that no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures were present that would have precluded normal operation.
Weather Conditions
At 1353, the airport's automatic weather observing station reported wind from 330 degrees at 7 knots, visibility 10 miles, sky clear, temperature 31°C, dew point 11°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.25 inches of mercury.