What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On April 19, 2002, at 1250 mountain standard time, a Cessna T206H, N377ME, sustained substantial fuselage structural damage after porpoising following a bounced landing at the Sedona, Arizona, airport. The aircraft was owned and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 of the federal aviation regulations. Neither the private pilot nor the three passengers on board were injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal cross-country flight that originated at camarillo, California, at 1000. The airplane was landing on runway 21, and the official ASOS observation at the time of the accident included winds from 170 degrees at 19 knots with higher gusts to 26 knots. The accident sequence was witnessed by the owner of an FBO on the airport. He reported that the pilot was trying to land on runway 21 with a strong quartering headwind that had a significant gust component. The witness said that runway 21 has about a 2 percent downslope. He saw the airplane bounce off the main gear and begin a series of porpoise like pilot induced oscillations where the airplane bounced from the nose wheel to the main gear and back again, with an increasing amplitude. On the fourth porpoise, the airplane's tail struck the runway. The airport manager examined the airplane and reported that the skin was wrinkled in the area of the firewall, and that a compression buckle extended circumferentially around the fuselage at a point 3 feet forward of the horizontal stabilizer leading edge. According to the federal aviation administration airman record files, an original issuance private pilot certificate was issued to the pilot on February 27, 2002. (-23) PIC departed camarillo CA. (Cma) on a cross country flight to Sedona, AZ (sez) ith 3 passengers. Flight was smooth until arrival at sez. PIC states that on short final to runway 21, winds were reported as 170 degrees at 19 knots, gusts to 26. He approached at a higher airspeed due to the turbulence. Aircraft bounced upon touchdown and began to "porpoise", for a total of four "bumps" as described by the PIC. On the final bump, the aircraft's tail struck the runway with enough force to cause substantial damage to the tail section. The aircraft was then brought under control and was taxiied to the ramp.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON APRIL 19, 2002, AT 1250 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA T206H, N377ME, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL FUSELAGE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AFTER PORPOISING FOLLOWING A BOUNCED LANDING AT THE SEDONA, ARIZONA, AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS. NEITHER THE PRIVATE PILOT NOR THE THREE PASSENGERS ON BOARD WERE INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED AT CAMARILLO, CALIFORNIA, AT 1000. THE AIRPLANE WAS LANDING ON RUNWAY 21, AND THE OFFICIAL ASOS OBSERVATION AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT INCLUDED WINDS FROM 170 DEGREES AT 19 KNOTS WITH HIGHER GUSTS TO 26 KNOTS. THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE WAS WITNESSED BY THE OWNER OF AN FBO ON THE AIRPORT. HE REPORTED THAT THE PILOT WAS TRYING TO LAND ON RUNWAY 21 WITH A STRONG QUARTERING HEADWIND THAT HAD A SIGNIFICANT GUST COMPONENT. THE WITNESS SAID THAT RUNWAY 21 HAS ABOUT A 2 PERCENT DOWNSLOPE. HE SAW THE AIRPLANE BOUNCE OFF THE MAIN GEAR AND BEGIN A SERIES OF PORPOISE LIKE PILOT INDUCED OSCILLATIONS WHERE THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED FROM THE NOSE WHEEL TO THE MAIN GEAR AND BACK AGAIN, WITH AN INCREASING AMPLITUDE. ON THE FOURTH PORPOISE, THE AIRPLANE'S TAIL STRUCK THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPORT MANAGER EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE AND REPORTED THAT THE SKIN WAS WRINKLED IN THE AREA OF THE FIREWALL, AND THAT A COMPRESSION BUCKLE EXTENDED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AROUND THE FUSELAGE AT A POINT 3 FEET FORWARD OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER LEADING EDGE. ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION AIRMAN RECORD FILES, AN ORIGINAL ISSUANCE PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WAS ISSUED TO THE PILOT ON FEBRUARY 27, 2002. (-23) PIC DEPARTED CAMARILLO CA. (CMA) ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT TO SEDONA, AZ (SEZ) ITH 3 PASSENGERS. FLIGHT WAS SMOOTH UNTIL ARRIVAL AT SEZ. PIC STATES THAT ON SHORT FINAL TO RUNWAY 21, WINDS WERE REPORTED AS 170 DEGREES AT 19 KNOTS, GUSTS TO 26. HE APPROACHED AT A HIGHER AIRSPEED DUE TO THE TURBULENCE. AIRCRAFT BOUNCED UPON TOUCHDOWN AND BEGAN TO "PORPOISE", FOR A TOTAL OF FOUR "BUMPS" AS DESCRIBED BY THE PIC. ON THE FINAL BUMP, THE AIRCRAFT'S TAIL STRUCK THE RUNWAY WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO CAUSE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE TAIL SECTION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL AND WAS TAXIIED TO THE RAMP.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.