Cessna 182 N3417R accident near Rose Hill, Kansas

Probable cause

The pilot's improper pitch control during the landing flare, which resulted in a porpoise and subsequent hard landing.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that during the landing he approached "a little faster" than he would have liked. During the landing flare, he further reported that the airplane ballooned, bounced, and then began to porpoise down the runway, with the last bounce being "fairly hard." The pilot taxied off the runway without further incident.

During the post-flight inspection, the pilot reported that "everything looked ok" with the airplane, but he did see fuel dripping from the underside of the fuselage.

During a maintenance inspection one day after the accident, substantial damage to the firewall was identified.

The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA15CA301 for the full record.