CARSON CITY, NV, USA
N3327T
Cessna 177
After completing a biennial flight review during which landings were practiced, the flight instructor exited the airplane and the pilot took off. He flew for about 15 minutes. Upon approaching the airport, he extended the wing flaps to the 10-degree setting. According to the pilot, on the final approach leg he encountered a 'small amount of turbulence.' The airplane's airspeed was excessive, and the airplane touched down hard in a nose low attitude. Thereafter, it porpoised several times before coming to rest on the 5,900-foot-long runway.
On August 27, 1999, about 1630 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 177, N3327T, operated by the pilot, made a hard landing and was substantially damaged at the uncontrolled Carson Airport, Carson City, Nevada. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the personal flight, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was performed under 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot, who was the sole airplane occupant, was not injured. The flight originated from Minden, Nevada, about 1615. The pilot reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that earlier during the day he passed a biennial flight review (BFR). Prior to that he had not flown in about 1.5 years. The BFR lasted about 1.1 hours during which he performed two landings with the wing flaps partially extended. After completing the BFR, he flew to the Carson Airport, extended the wing flaps to the 10-degree setting, and landed on 5,900-foot-long runway 27. The pilot further indicated that he approached the runway with excessive airspeed and in a nose low attitude. The pilot stated although there was no crosswind, he did encounter a "small amount of turbulence." The airplane touched down on its nose wheel, bounced, and commenced porpoising. According to the pilot, no mechanical problems were experienced with the airplane during the flight.
The pilot's use of an excessive approach reference airspeed, his misjudged landing flare, and subsequent hard landing/porpoise. A contributing factor was the airplane's excessive approach airspeed.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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