Cessna 172 N7880G accident near Nashville, Tennessee

Probable cause

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

NTSB analysis

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The pilot reported that, during his solo flight, he made an approach, but the airplane's airspeed was fast. He intended to float along the 8,000-ft-long runway, extending the distance to touchdown, because he wanted to exit at the taxiway near the end of the runway. During the landing flare, he misperceived the airplane's height above the runway because the runway was 50 ft wider than his departure airport's runway. He added that the airplane sank, touched down on the main landing gear, and then bounced. The pilot reported that he panicked and applied back pressure to the yoke, "thinking that it would slow...[the airplane] down." The airplane bounced several times, and he applied forward pressure to the yoke "to get some forward momentum to flare again," but the airplane settled on the runway. During taxi, the pilot felt something was wrong with the nosewheel but continued to taxi to the hangar.

The airplane sustained substantial damage the lower engine mounts.

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 GAA18CA428 for the full record.