Cessna 172P N99087 accident near Brooksville, Florida

Probable cause

The pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.

NTSB analysis

An airport ramp employee reported observing the airplane "porpoise" three times during the landing, followed by a tail strike, which he saw and heard. The pilot performed a go-around and remained in the traffic pattern for a full stop landing. The ramp employee observed the pilot and his passengers leave the airplane without performing an external inspection. During postaccident interviews, the pilot who was flying the airplane reported that he was performing a touch-and-go landing and bounced once during the initial touchdown. He stated that he did not land hard or experience a tail strike. The damage to the cabin floor, the engine firewall, and the tail strike bar was discovered later in the day by another pilot preparing to fly the airplane.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA12LA259 for the full record.