Cessna 172 N78242 accident near Fulton, Missouri

Probable cause

The pilot’s improper landing flare and subsequent improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in the airplane porpoising.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that during the initial touchdown he "got a bad bounce." On the third bounce the nose wheel "gave way and the propeller impacted the ground."

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall.

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

The Federal Aviation Administration has published the Airplane Flying Handbook FAA-H-8083-3B (2016). This handbook discusses porpoising and states in part:

In a bounced landing that is improperly recovered, the airplane comes in nose first initiating a series of motions that imitate the jumps and dives of a porpoise. The problem is improper airplane attitude at touchdown, sometimes caused by inattention, not knowing where the ground is, miss-trimming or forcing the airplane onto the runway.

Ground effect decreases elevator control effectiveness and increases the effort required to raise the nose. Not enough elevator or stabilator trim can result in a nose low contact with the runway and a porpoise develops.

Porpoising can also be caused by improper airspeed control. Usually, if an approach is too fast, the airplane floats and the pilot tries to force it on the runway when the airplane still wants to fly. A gust of wind, a bump in the runway, or even a slight tug on the control wheel will send the air plane aloft again.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA16CA473 for the full record.