No fatalities

Student Pilot Lands Hard, Nose Wheel and Propeller Strike Runway

Midland, TX, United States

On January 26, 2017, a CESSNA 182 N was involved in an aviation accident near Midland, TX. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in 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 solo student pilot reported a hard landing where the nose wheel and propeller struck the runway, causing a bounce. After a second bounce, an aborted landing was unsuccessful due to damage, and the airplane stopped on the runway.

Accident Description

A solo student pilot, after completing maneuvers in the local area, returned to his home airport and was cleared for a straight-in approach. During touchdown, the nose wheel and propeller struck the runway hard, causing the airplane to bounce. On the second bounce, the student pilot increased power to abort the landing, but the maneuver was unsuccessful due to the already damaged nose wheel and propeller. Subsequently, the student pilot stopped the airplane on the runway.

Aircraft Damage

The firewall and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The student pilot did not report any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Pilot Report

The student pilot reported the sequence of events, including the hard touchdown, bounce, and unsuccessful abort attempt. No further information was provided regarding the specific maneuvers conducted prior to the approach.

Contributing factors

Student/instructed pilotLanding flare — Not attained/maintained