LAX93LA219

The pilot stated that he was in the right seat, and the passenger who holds a student pilot certificate was in the left seat and flying the airplane. He further stated that the pax/student pilot maintained an excessive airspeed on final and bounced during the initial touchdown. The airplane porpoised, sustaining damage to the nose gear, prop and firewall. After the second bounce, the pax/student pilot asked the pilot to take control of the airplane. The pilot reported that he completed the landing and brought the airplane to a stop on the parallel taxiway. The pax/student pilot, who is the daughter of the individual who owns the company to which the airplane is registered, denied flying the airplane at any time during the approach and landing. She held a valid student certificate with about 45 hrs of dual instruction, but had not been endorsed for solo privileges.

On May 15, 1993, at 1247 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 182Q, N735HD, porpoised on landing and collapsed the nose gear during touchdown on runway 32R at Concord, California. The aircraft was owned and operated by Concord Jet Service, Inc., of Concord, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the operation. The aircraft incurred substantial damage. Neither the certificated private pilot nor his one passenger was injured. The flight originated at Monterey, California, on the day of the mishap at about 1200 hours as a personal cross country flight to Concord.

According to the pilot's written and oral statements, he was occupying the right front seat. The passenger, who holds a student pilot certificate and is the daughter of the individual who owns the company to which the aircraft is registered, was in the left seat and flying the aircraft. The pilot stated that the student was maintaining an airspeed of 85 on the approach and "leveled out the plane just before touchdown and on impact the plane bounced." The pilot further stated that after a second bounce the student asked him to take control of the aircraft. The pilot reported that he completed the landing and brought the aircraft to a stop on the parallel taxiway where damage was discovered to the nose gear strut, propeller and engine firewall.

In a verbal statement to FAA inspectors, the student pilot admitted occupying the left seat but denied flying the aircraft during the approach and landing. The student pilot holds a valid student certificate with about 45 hours of dual instruction. The student has not been endorsed for solo privileges.