IAD98LA045

A witness reported the airplane landed hard on the nose wheel and continued to bounce down the runway. Each bounce increased in severity and magnitude. The pilot lost directional control, and the airplane departed the runway and struck a wind direction indicator to the right of the landing surface. The pilot said he applied right rudder during the landing, but did not recall applying brakes. He reported the airplane had no mechanical deficiencies. An operational check of the airplane's braking system by an FAA Airworthiness Inspector revealed no discrepancies.

On April 12, 1998, at 1740 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N734MN, was substantially damaged when it collided with a wind direction indicator during landing at the Bay Bridge Airport (W29), Stevensville, Maryland. The certificated private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that originated at Culpepper, Virginia (CJR), at 1630. A Visual Flight Rules flight plan had been filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

In a telephone interview, the pilot stated the flight from CJR to W29 was uneventful and he entered the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for Runway 29. While on final approach, he set full flaps and established an airspeed of 60 knots. He said:

"Everything was perfect. I flared and it bounced once or twice a little bit. Then it skidded to the right and went into the grass. The wing struck the wind 'T', went into the ditch and turned around...I don't remember applying the brakes. I did have right rudder in."

An experienced pilot witnessed the accident and was interviewed by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aviation Safety Inspector. According to the Inspector's Record of Telephone Call, the witness stated:

"I saw the airplane come in on runway 29. The pilot let the nose wheel hit first and it hit pretty hard. It started bouncing, three or four times, severe bouncing, increasing in magnitude. Immediately after the bouncing stopped, the pilot lost directional control of the airplane and it veered immediately to the right and left [departed] the runway. It went into a gully and hit the wind tee, the airplane bounced and turned around 180 degrees."

The FAA Inspector described the skid marks on the runway in a written statement. He said:

"The right skid mark (facing in the direction of runway 29) was most pronounced and was approximately 30 to 40 feet long. It was to the right of the centerline and it veered to the right towards the wind tee on the right side of the runway."

When questioned about the airworthiness of the airplane, the pilot stated he found no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane during his preflight inspection or during the flight. He stated:

"It was in perfect shape, absolutely no problem. The engine sounded perfect and the flight controls were normal."

In a telephone interview, an FAA Airworthiness Inspector who examined the wreckage stated he found no pre-impact anomalies. He further stated the airplane's braking system was checked and found to operate with no deficiencies.

Winds reported at Easton, Maryland, 14 miles southeast of W29, were from 330 degrees at 5 knots.