19980906031229A

Pilot misjudged the flare altitude adn stalled the aircraft approximately 20 feet above the runway. The pilot maintained control of the aircraft, but made a hard damaging one propeller blade and the firewall. There were no weather causal factors. (.19)on September 6, 1998, at 1725 hours pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172L, N19770, made a hard landing at the Bakersfield, California, airport. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the privat pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the personal flight and no flight plan was filed. In an interview with a federal aviation administration inspector from the fresno, California, flight standards district office the pilot stated that he flared to early on landing and the aircraft stalled approximately 20 feet above the runway. The pilot reported that the aircraft landed hard and the propeller struck the runway. The pilot noted no mechanical malfunctions. (.4) on September 6, 1998, at 1045 hours pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172L, N19770, made a hard landing on runway 16 at the Bakersfield, California, municipal airpark. The aircraft, operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91, sustained substantial damage. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the personal flight and no flight plan was filed. The flight had originated from Bakersfield airport at 1000 on the morning of the accident. The pilot stated that he was practicing takeoffs and landings. He stated that on the first attempted landing the aircraft was too high and he had to initiate a go-around. He reported that on the second landing attempt, he flared too high and the aircraft stalled 20 feet above ground level. The aircraft landed hard and porpoised down the runway striking the propeller before coming to a stop. No mechanical malfunctions were noted witht he aircraft or engine by the pilot.