NTSB CAROL · Event
Event GAA15CA176
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot's improper pitch control which resulted in a hard landing. A factor contributing to the accident was the pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during touchdown the airplane landed hard and bounced. The third time the airplane made contact with the runway it was in a nose down attitude. The nose landing gear and propeller made contact with runway and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that during touchdown the airplane landed hard and bounced. The third time the airplane made contact with the runway it was in a nose down attitude. The nose landing gear and propeller made contact with runway and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Pitch control-Not attained/maintained - C
- F Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incorrect action performance-Pilot - F
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2015_GAA15CA176.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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