- Date
- August 27, 1999, 16:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Carson City, NV
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3327TCessna 177
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 14, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990827025399A
- Case key
- 47234
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 use of an excessive approach reference airspeed, his misjudged landing flare, and subsequent hard landing/porpoise. A contributing factor was the airplane's excessive approach airspeed.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
After completing a biennial flight review during which landings were practiced, the flight instructor exited the airplane and the pilot took off. He flew for about 15 minutes. Upon approaching the airport, he extended the wing flaps to the 10-degree setting. According to the pilot, on the final approach leg he encountered a 'small amount of turbulence.' The airplane's airspeed was excessive, and the airplane touched down hard in a nose low attitude. Thereafter, it porpoised several times before coming to rest on the 5,900-foot-long runway.
Factual narrative
On August 27, 1999, about 1630 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 177, N3327T, operated by the pilot, made a hard landing and was substantially damaged at the uncontrolled Carson Airport, Carson City, Nevada. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the personal flight, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was performed under 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot, who was the sole airplane occupant, was not injured. The flight originated from Minden, Nevada, about 1615.
The pilot reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that earlier during the day he passed a biennial flight review (BFR). Prior to that he had not flown in about 1.5 years. The BFR lasted about 1.1 hours during which he performed two landings with the wing flaps partially extended.
After completing the BFR, he flew to the Carson Airport, extended the wing flaps to the 10-degree setting, and landed on 5,900-foot-long runway 27. The pilot further indicated that he approached the runway with excessive airspeed and in a nose low attitude. The pilot stated although there was no crosswind, he did encounter a "small amount of turbulence." The airplane touched down on its nose wheel, bounced, and commenced porpoising. According to the pilot, no mechanical problems were experienced with the airplane during the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3327T
- Reported as
- Cessna 177
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17700627
- Airframe hours
- 2,976
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Byron Smith
- Registered owner
- Tona Smith
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 7, 1999 · 58 hours before
- Departed
- MEV · Minden, NV
- Destination
- CXP
- Airport
- CXP · Carson Airport, runway 27, 5,900 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 24
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 190 total · 28 in this make and model · 110 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RNO, 19 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.