Cessna R172K N1055V accident near Page, Arizona

Probable cause

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

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that during a landing, the airplane touched down hard and bounced about 10 feet into the air. During the second bounce, the airplane flew in a nose-high pitch attitude until the airspeed bled off, then the airplane touched down hard a third time. The pilot taxied to the ramp and requested that a local mechanic inspect the airplane for obvious evidence of external damage. The mechanic accomplished an external inspection without looking inside the airplane or removing the engine's cowling and reported no obvious external damage. The pilot continued her cross-country flight and, a few days later, concluded the flight and returned the airplane to the fixed base operator. Several days after that, it was determined that the firewall had been substantially damaged, consistent with a hard landing accident.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR09LA480 for the full record.