- Date
- June 3, 2015, 12:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Palm Springs, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N759ZKCessna 182Q
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 27, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA Riverside FSDO
- FAA report
- 20150603021179A
- Case key
- 91307
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper landing flare which resulted in a hard landing and substantial damage to the firewall.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that during the landing flare a gust of wind rotated the nose to the left and he responded by correcting with right rudder. Subsequently, the airplane touched down hard, bounced 3 to 4 times, and the propeller struck the runway. The pilot was able to maintain directional control and taxied to the ramp without further incident. During a post-flight inspection, substantial damage was found on the firewall. The reported winds at the airport about the time of the accident were from 340 degrees true at 12 knots, gusting to 16 knots, and the runway heading was 310 degrees. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing flare a gust of wind rotated the nose to the left and he responded by correcting with right rudder. Subsequently, the airplane touched down hard, bounced 3 to 4 times, and the propeller struck the runway. The pilot was able to maintain directional control and taxied to the ramp without further incident. During a post-flight inspection, substantial damage was found on the firewall. The reported winds at the airport about the time of the accident were from 340 degrees true at 12 knots, gusting to 16 knots, and the runway heading was 310 degrees. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N759ZK
- Reported as
- Cessna 182Q (Q)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18266387
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 3,510
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 6, 2015 · 112 hours before
- Departed
- RYN · Tucson, AZ
- Destination
- PSP · Palm Springs, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- PSP · Palm Springs Intl, runway 31L, 10,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 29, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 490 total · 391 in this make and model · 370 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 12 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.77 inHg
- Observed at
- KPSP
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 8, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.7 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.