Cessna 172 N1107G accident near Mesa, Arizona

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain pitch control during landing, resulting in a porpoise, and firewall damage.

NTSB analysis

A flight instructor, who witnessed the landing sequence, reported that upon touchdown, the airplane porpoised three times. He reported that the pilot aborted the landing, the airplane climbed to approximately 50 feet above ground level, and then the airplane landed on the remaining runway without further incident.

The Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector, who spoke with the pilot, stated that the pilot reported that the airplane was "not stable" during the approach and that he should have aborted the landing. The pilot also reported that the crosswind condition "complicated his final approach," which was "too high." The airplane landed hard, resulting in substantial damage to the firewall.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA16CA048 for the full record.