LAX00LA012

Controllers in the tower observed the airplane porpoise on each of the two prior touch-and-go landings. The pilot reported that on the third touch-and-go he realized he was too high and fast on final, but continued the approach anyway. The landing was hard and he then performed a go-around. He told the air traffic controller that he thought his nose wheel might be flat. The pilot made a full-stop landing and taxied to the flight school, where a damaged firewall and tailskid were found.

On October 7, 1999, at 1820 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N123FR, landed hard and collapsed the nose gear at the Torrance, California, airport. The airplane, operated by South Bay Aviation of Torrance and rented by the pilot, was substantially damaged. The private pilot and two passengers were not injured. The local personal flight, conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, originated from Torrance at 1730. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.

An air traffic controller at Torrance reported that the pilot had made two touch-and-go landings to runway 29L, and had porpoised on each landing. During the third traffic pattern, the controller asked the pilot if he needed assistance and the pilot informed him that he thought his nose wheel might be flat. The controller contacted the airport emergency services and a fire truck was dispatched to the runway. The pilot landed without incident where the firewall was found damaged.

The pilot returned to Japan following the accident. He provided a written statement in Japanese, which subsequently translated. In the statement, the pilot reported that on final approach he realized that he was too high and fast, but continued the approach. When he began the landing flare, the aircraft's tail hit the runway. The nose of aircraft then hit the runway hard. The pilot performed a go-around. He made a full-stop landing, and then taxied to the flight school.

A Federal Aviation Administration inspector from the Long Beach Flight Standards District Office examined the airplane and reported that the firewall was dented in at least 1/2-inch at the nose gear attachment point and the tail tie down hook was flattened.