No fatalities

Pilot Reports Bounce and Drift During Short Approach Landing

Colorado Springs, CO, United States

On April 21, 2013, a CESSNA T182T operated by Air Illini, LLC was involved in an aviation accident near Colorado Springs, CO. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s improper recovery from 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 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot practicing touch-and-go landings experienced a bounced landing and drift to the right, causing the aircraft to exit the runway and sustain substantial damage to the firewall and left wing tip.

Incident Details

The pilot was practicing touch-and-go landings and had completed five such maneuvers. At the request of an air traffic controller, the pilot performed a short approach for the next landing. The pilot reported landing with full flaps while wind gusts were 18 knots. The aircraft touched down in a "flat" attitude and bounced. Following the bounce, the airplane drifted to the right, and the pilot was unable to correct the drift. The airplane subsequently departed the runway surface and came to rest nose-down in a shallow ditch.

Aircraft Damage

Post-incident examination of the airplane revealed damage to the left wing tip. The nose landing gear had collapsed, resulting in substantial damage to the firewall.

Contributing factors

PilotIncorrect use/operation