LAX99LA286

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 177 · Carson City, NV · August 27, 1999

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
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.

Hard landingLanding - flare/touchdown
Airspeed(vref) - excessivePilot in commandCause
Flare - misjudgedPilot in commandCause
Porpoise/pilot-induced oscillation - not correctedPilot in commandCause

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.