SEA95LA122

Factual narrative

On June 16, 1995, about 1315 Pacific daylight time, N19806, a Cessna 177B, operated by the Big M Flying Club, Inc., Aberdeen, Washington, was substantially damaged when it porpoised during landing at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Seattle, Washington. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed. The personal flight departed from Hoquiam, Washington, and was conducted under 14 CFR 91. According to an FAA aviation safety inspector from Renton, Washington, the pilot stated that he was "keeping his speed up" during approach to runway 16L because of transport airplanes behind him. The airplane's airspeed was "130 knots about one mile from the runway." The pilot stated that he touched down on the nose wheel, settled, landed on the nose wheel again, and the aircraft porpoised repeatedly. The nose gear tire failed and the firewall was buckled. No pre-impact mechanical malfunctions were reported. The pilot observed that he should have added power and pulled the nose up to recover from the porpoise. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE KEPT HIS SPEED UP DURING APPROACH. HE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE NOSE WHEEL, BOUNCED, SETTLED, LANDED ON THE NOSE WHEEL AGAIN, AND THE AIRCRAFT PORPOISED REPEATEDLY, EVENTUALLY CAUSING STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. HE STATED THAT HE SHOULD HAVE ADDED POWER AND PULLED THE NOSE UP. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12