REDLANDS, CA, USA
N51920
CESSNA 172P
IN HIS ORAL AND WRITTEN STATEMENTS, THE PILOT SAID THAT THE APPROACH WAS COMPLETELY NORMAL. JUST AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN THE FLARE, THE PILOT SAID THE AIRCRAFT NOSE WENT TO THE LEFT AND HE APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER, WHICH SUDDENLY MADE THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT GO TOO FAR TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT NOTED THAT HE COULDN'T GET THE AIRCRAFT STRAIGHTENED OUT BEFORE THE MAIN WHEELS CONTACTED THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE AIRCRAFT 'HIT AND BOUNCED, AND WHEN IT CAME BACK DOWN, IT VEERED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY.' WITNESSES ON THE AIRPORT REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE RUNWAY VERY HARD WHILE IN A CRAB. EXAMINATION OF THE PILOT'S LOGBOOK REVEALED THAT HE HAD LIMITED RECENT EXPERIENCE, LOGGING ONLY TWO HOURS WITHIN THE LAST 90 DAYS. EXAMINATION OF THE LANDING GEAR REVEALED THAT THE SEVERITY OF THE HARD LANDING SHEARED THE MAIN GEAR STRUT ATTACH BOLTS, WHICH ALLOWED THE RIGHT GEAR TO ROTATE FREELY.
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER LEVEL-OFF, RECOVERY FROM BOUNCED LANDING, AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE LANDING. THE PILOT'S LIMITED RECENT EXPERIENCE WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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