Incident Overview
A pilot reported a landing incident that occurred during an approach. The event involved a sequence of maneuvers that resulted in a hard touchdown, porpoising, a propeller strike, and structural damage.
Sequence of Events
According to the pilot's statement, the approach began with a turn to base that was executed too early. This early turn caused the aircraft to have an excessive glide angle during the approach phase. To correct the high glide path, the pilot reduced power and simultaneously nosed the airplane over to increase the descent rate. As a consequence, the airspeed increased. During the landing flare, the airplane ballooned—rising unexpectedly—rather than settling onto the runway. The subsequent touchdown was hard, and the aircraft then porpoised along the runway surface. During the porpoising, a propeller strike occurred, indicating contact between the propeller and the ground or runway.
Damage
After the incident, the pilot taxied the airplane to parking. Upon inspection, it was observed that the firewall had sustained substantial damage.