Cessna 172P N64204 accident near San Jose, California

Probable cause

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

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that after a cross-country flight, she maneuvered the airplane onto final approach while maintaining about 65 knots. The pilot flared too early and as a result, the airplane stalled and landed hard. The airplane bounced down the runway and the pilot continued to pull back on the control yoke. After the third bounce, the airplane touched down and came to a stop at the end of the runway. As the pilot was taxiing the airplane back to the parking area, she noticed that when the rudder was fully deflected to the right it made a clipping sound. When she exited the airplane, she examined the airplane and observed the propeller tips were bent. Postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and fuselage. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions prior to the accident.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR10CA392 for the full record.