LAX04LA201

The private pilot was practicing crosswind landing when the airplane landed hard and bounced. Subsequent inspection disclosed structural damage to the firewall, and damage to the nose gear assembly.

On April 19, 2004, at 1630 mountain standard time, a Cessna U206A, N4941F, landed hard on runway 17 at Lake Havasu City Airport (HII), Lake Havasu City, Arizona. The owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and nose landing gear attachment areas. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area flight, and no flight plan had been filed. The personal flight departed Lake Havasu City at an undetermined time and was scheduled to terminate at Eagle Airpark (A09), Bullhead City, Arizona.

In the pilot's written statement to the Safety Board he had spent 1.7 hours with a certified flight instructor (CFI), reviewing aircraft operations the day of the accident. He dropped the CFI of at Eagle Airpark and decided to go to Lake Havasu City to practice crosswind landings. On the accident landing he made a lower approach and at the numbers "touched down solidly (hard)." The pilot stated that the front wheel came up, and before he could react came back down on the runway before the main landing gear had touched down. He believed that the airplane was going to start porpoising down the runway, so he added power to abort the landing. He went around the pattern again, and landed to see if there was any damage to the airplane. He got out of the airplane to inspect it, noted no discrepancies, and decided to continue the flight back to Eagle Airpark. When he landed at A09, he had maintenance personnel inspect the airplane. At that point maintenance personnel noted that the firewall was wrinkled, and there was damage to the nose landing gear assembly.

According to the pilot, he had 4.7 hours in the accident make and model airplane, with a total flight time of 46.4 hours.

The accident was reported to the National Transportation Safety Board on May 27, 2004, after the owner's insurance company notified the FAA by requesting a ferry permit to have repairs done in Colorado.