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GAA15CA301

2015-09-03 · Rose Hill, Kansas, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport K50

Current FAA registration · N3417R

Make / Model
CESSNA 182L
Year of manufacture
1967 · 48 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR O-470 SERIES (230 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19671218
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A3C462

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's improper pitch control during the landing flare, which resulted in a porpoise and subsequent hard landing.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that during the landing he approached "a little faster" than he would have liked. During the landing flare, he further reported that the airplane ballooned, bounced, and then began to porpoise down the runway, with the last bounce being "fairly hard." The pilot taxied off the runway without further incident. During the post-flight inspection, the pilot reported that "everything looked ok" with the airplane, but he did see fuel dripping from the underside of the fuselage. During a maintenance inspection one day after the accident, substantial damage to the firewall was identified. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that during the landing he approached "a little faster" than he would have liked. During the landing flare, he further reported that the airplane ballooned, bounced, and then began to porpoise down the runway, with the last bounce being "fairly hard." The pilot taxied off the runway without further incident. During the post-flight inspection, the pilot reported that "everything looked ok" with the airplane, but he did see fuel dripping from the underside of the fuselage. During a maintenance inspection one day after the accident, substantial damage to the firewall was identified. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Landing flare-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Pitch control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2015_GAA15CA301.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

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