No fatalities

Bounced Landing and Wind Gust Lead to Nose Wheel Failure and Firewall Damage

Galesburg, IL, United States

On October 4, 2016, a CESSNA T182 T was involved in an aviation accident near Galesburg, IL. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced, 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

A pilot experienced a bounced landing and a wind gust that caused a second hard bounce, breaking the nose wheel and resulting in substantial firewall damage.

Event Summary

During a landing attempt, the pilot reported that the airplane bounced upon initial touchdown. A subsequent gust of wind caused the airplane to float longer than intended. The airplane then experienced a second hard bounce, during which the nose rose considerably higher than normal. Following the second bounce, the airplane impacted the pavement, causing the nose wheel to break off. The airplane came to rest in a nose-down attitude.

Pilot Report

According to the pilot, the first bounce occurred at touchdown, after which a gust of wind extended the float phase. The pilot noted that the second bounce was hard and raised the nose significantly. The pilot further reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Damage

The accident resulted in substantial damage to the airplane's firewall. The nose wheel assembly was separated from the aircraft due to the impact.

Contributing factors

PilotLanding flare — Not attained/maintainedEffect on operation