What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot landed hard on rwy 04 at South Haven, MI. After third bounce aircraft exited runway on right side and went through drain ditch. Both main gear were bent, nose wheel broke off, left wing tip broken and damage to aircraft firewall. (.19) on August 14, 2001, at 1600 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 177, N2949X, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage during an on-ground collision with a ditch following a loss of aircraft control during a landing on runway 04 (4,300 feet by 75 feet, dry/asphalt) at the South Haven Area Regional Airport, South Haven, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The pilot, the sole occupant, reported no injuries. The flight departed the southwest Michigan regional airport, benton harbor, Michigan, at 1540. According to the pilot, he bounced three times during the landing attempt and subsequently lost control of the airplane. The pilot reported that the airplane departed the right side of the runway and impacted a ditch.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT LANDED HARD ON RWY 04 AT SOUTH HAVEN, MI. AFTER THIRD BOUNCE AIRCRAFT EXITED RUNWAY ON RIGHT SIDE AND WENT THROUGH DRAIN DITCH. BOTH MAIN GEAR WERE BENT, NOSE WHEEL BROKE OFF, LEFT WING TIP BROKEN AND DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT FIREWALL. (.19) ON AUGUST 14, 2001, AT 1600 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 177, N2949X, PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN ON-GROUND COLLISION WITH A DITCH FOLLOWING A LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL DURING A LANDING ON RUNWAY 04 (4,300 FEET BY 75 FEET, DRY/ASPHALT) AT THE SOUTH HAVEN AREA REGIONAL AIRPORT, SOUTH HAVEN, MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATING UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AND WAS NOT ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN REGIONAL AIRPORT, BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN, AT 1540. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE BOUNCED THREE TIMES DURING THE LANDING ATTEMPT AND SUBSEQUENTLY LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND IMPACTED A DITCH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.