According to the pilot, since the Cessna 172 was “high,” he adjusted the flight controls for a “rapid” descent and intercepted the visual glideslope on short final. At that point, the flaps were fully deployed and the throttle at idle. Once over the runway, the pilot flared too “high,” the airplane landed hard and bounced about four times with each bounce becoming more “violent.” On the last bounce, the airplane touched down nosewheel first and the propeller struck the runway. The pilot added the runway was twice as long and twice as wide as his home runway, causing him to initiate the landing flare too high.
May 9, 2007, Asheville, N.C., Cessna 172S
According to the pilot, since the Cessna 172 was high, he adjusted the flight controls for a rapid descent and intercepted the visual glideslope on short final. At that point, the flaps were fully deployed and the throttle at idle. Once over the runway, the pilot flared too high, the airplane landed hard and bounced about four times with each bounce becoming more violent. On the last bounce, the airplane touched down nosewheel first and the propeller struck the runway. The pilot added the runway was twice as long and twice as wide as his home runway, causing him to initiate the landing flare too high.
Key Takeaways:
- The pilot executed a rapid descent to correct a high approach but then flared too high on the final landing.
- This led to a hard landing followed by a series of increasingly violent bounces, culminating in a nosewheel-first touchdown and propeller strike.
- The pilot attributed flaring too high to misjudging the unfamiliar runway, which was significantly longer and wider than his home runway.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
