Probable cause
The pilot’s improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
NTSB analysis
The pilot reported that he was practicing touch-and-go takeoffs and landings. On the second landing, the airplane drifted to the left, so he applied right rudder to correct for the drift. He stated that when he reduced the power to land, the nose of the airplane dropped, and the airplane landed hard and porpoised. The pilot regained control of the airplane and landed on the remaining runway. A postaccident examination revealed that the nose gear was pushed up, resulting in substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported there were no failures or malfunctions of the airplane prior to the accident.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN12CA194 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Mar 15, 2012
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Nearest airport
- Lakefront Airport (NEW)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Dusk
Cessna 177B
- N-number
- N30770
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.