Cessna 177 N11823 accident near Festus, Missouri

Probable cause

The pilot's improper landing flare and failure to maintain pitch control with a crosswind, which resulted in a hard landing and a tail strike.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, during landing, the airplane "caught a crosswind" and became airborne again. The airplane touched back down and veered right off the runway into grass. The pilot was able to get the airplane back onto the runway and taxied to park without further incident.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage.

The Federal Aviation Administrator inspector reported that the airplane damage was associated with a hard landing, including a tail strike. He added that further evidence of a tail strike was noted on the bottom side of the tail underneath the vertical stabilizer.

An automated weather observation station located about 25 miles from the accident site reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 260° at 7 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 1.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA19CA353 for the full record.