Cessna 172K N78794 accident near Tupelo, Mississippi

Probable cause

The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing.

NTSB analysis

According to the pilot, he arrived at the airport late in the day but still under daylight conditions, and the runway lights were illuminated. On approach, the wind was calm. The pilot maintained his target approach airspeed with 30 degrees of flaps. Once over the runway, the airplane floated about 1,000 feet. Upon touchdown, the airplane bounced twice with the pilot maintaining the same yoke position. After the second bounce, the pilot thought about adding power, but events were occurring too rapidly. The airplane then touched down hard, the nose landing gear separated from the airframe, and the airplane slid to a stop, sustaining substantial damage to the firewall. Neither the pilot nor the passenger reported any preexisting mechanical anomalies.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA12CA404 for the full record.