Cessna 172M N20490 accident near Albany, Oregon

Probable cause

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

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, during landing, the airplane bounced, and the pilot attempted to hold the airplane level to bleed off airspeed. The airplane then bounced three more times, and its pitch increased after each bounce. After the fourth bounce, the airplane ballooned, and the pilot applied back pressure to the yoke. Subsequently, the airplane’s pitch decreased rapidly, and the airplane impacted the runway surface in a nose low attitude. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage.

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR25LA296 for the full record.