No fatalities

Pilot Reports Hard Landing and Porpoising; Post-Flight Inspection Reveals Fuel Leak, Firewall Damage

Rose Hill, KS, United States

On September 3, 2015, a CESSNA 182 L was involved in an aviation accident near Rose Hill, KS. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's improper pitch control during the landing flare, which resulted in a porpoise and subsequent 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

Pilot reported faster approach, ballooning, bouncing, and porpoising during landing. Post-flight inspection revealed fuel leak; subsequent maintenance found substantial firewall damage.

Landing Incident

During the landing, the pilot reported approaching at a speed he described as "a little faster" than preferred. During the flare, the airplane ballooned, bounced, and then began porpoising down the runway. The final bounce was characterized as "fairly hard." After the sequence, the pilot taxied off the runway without further incident.

Post-Flight Inspection

During a post-flight inspection, the pilot reported that "everything looked ok" with the airplane, but he observed fuel dripping from the underside of the fuselage.

Maintenance Findings

A maintenance inspection conducted one day after the landing event identified substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotLanding flare — Not attained/maintainedPitch control — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Airspeed — Not attained/maintained