Cessna 182 N1040D accident near Parowan, Utah

Probable cause

The pilot's improper flare and recovery from a bounced landing.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that on his second landing approach in dark night conditions he observed that he was above the glide slope. As he approached the end of the runway, he "flattened out" his descent and landed flat, with all three tires hitting the runway simultaneously. The airplane subsequently bounced, and he "pushed in on the [control] yoke to get back down on the runway." The pilot stated that this made the second bounce worse than the first. He then tried unsuccessfully to pull back on the yoke to prevent the airplane from bouncing a third time. Because he feared another bounce would collapse the landing gear, he initiated a go-around by applying full power and beginning a gentle climb. He reported that the stall warning alerted at about 45 knots and that he "felt the left wing fall, which was followed by an impact with the ground." The airplane's left wing sustained substantial damage and there was no postcrash fire. The pilot reported no anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR09CA469 for the full record.