Incident Overview
A pilot reported that during a landing attempt, following power reduction and rounding out, the airplane "ballooned high." She then relaxed elevator pressure slightly to hold a level attitude, after which the airplane "sank fast and bounced back high several times." During these bounces, the propeller struck the runway. The airplane experienced a total loss of power, and the nose wheel tire flattened. Substantial damage occurred to the firewall.
Pilot's Assessment
The pilot confirmed that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Weather Conditions
The pilot stated that the automated weather observing system reported wind conditions as 19 knots, gusting to 24 knots from 210 degrees before she entered the airport's airspace. She added that the crosswind component was more than 11 knots. Approximately five minutes prior to the accident time, the meteorological terminal aviation routine weather report indicated winds of 16 knots, gusting to 26 knots from 220 degrees.
Pilot's Safety Recommendations
As a safety recommendation, the pilot stated that she "should have prepared to go around anytime the approach was not as stabilized or try to land with a higher indicated airspeed or only two notches of flaps instead." She also discussed a "hazardous attitude" regarding the landing, citing "macho – I thought I had landed successfully in gusty winds as strong as this before" and "impulsivity – I really wanted to land as soon as possible."