Lafayette, TN, USA
N53460
CESSNA 172S
The pilot estimated the wind was from 270 degrees at 13 mph gusting to 25 mph when he was conducting a touch-and-go landing on runway 1. As the main landing gear touched down, a gust of wind lifted the airplane back into the air, to an altitude of about 8 feet above ground level. The airplane landed again, hard, on the runway, and the pilot added power to abort the landing. The pilot returned to his departure airport without further incident; however, subsequent examination revealed damage to the engine firewall. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.
The pilot stated he was conducting touch and go landings. The surface winds, located 31 miles from the accident site were 270 degrees at 9 knots gusting to 20 knots. The pilot made an approach to runway 01. He estimated the winds at “270 degrees, at 13 miles gusting to 25 miles”. As the main landing gear touched down, a gust of wind lifted the airplane back into the air, about 8 feet above ground level. The airplane collided hard with the runway on the nose and main landing gear before the pilot could add power. The pilot returned to his departure airport without further incident. Examination of the airplane revealed it had sustained damage to the propeller and engine firewall. The pilot reported no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.
The pilot’s inadequate compensation for gusting crosswind conditions during landing, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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