- Date
- May 26, 1996, 17:15 local (May 27, 1996, 00:15 UTC)
- Place
- Corvallis, OR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N177JMCessna 177
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960526019969A
- Case key
- 42373
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
failure of the pilot to properly judge the distance and altitude to the runway just before touching down, and his premature flare for landing. Factors relating to the accident were: the presence of sun glare during the landing, and the resultant degradation of the pilot's visual perception.
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
The pilot stated that while he was on 'short final' for runway 27 at the Corvallis Municipal Airport, the sun 'came from behind a cloud with some glare and visibility problems....' He stated that he 'could not tell [the airplane's] height [above the runway] accurately.' He stated that he began to flare for landing after he 'judged that the dark pavement was just below.' The airplane landed hard on the main landing gear and porpoised forward onto the nose gear. The nose gear collapsed and the firewall was substantially damaged. No preimpact mechanical deficiency was reported.
Factual narrative
On May 26, 1996, about 1715 Pacific daylight time, N177JM, a Cessna 177, operated by the owner/pilot, landed hard in Corvallis, Oregon, and was substantially damaged. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR 91.
The pilot stated that while he was on "short final" for runway 27 at the Corvallis Municipal Airport, the sun "came from behind a cloud with some glare and visibility problems...." He stated that he "could not tell [the airplane's] height [above the runway] accurately." He stated that he began to flare for landing after he "judged that the dark pavement was just below." The airplane landed hard on the main landing gear and porpoised forward onto the nose gear. The nose gear collapsed and the firewall was substantially damaged. No preimpact mechanical deficiencies were reported.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N177JM
- Reported as
- Cessna 177
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17701307
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A2F, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Hartman, Thomas B.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Departed
- CVO
- Airport
- CVO · Corvallis Municipal, runway 27, 3,769 × 150 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
- 53
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 731 total · 439 in this make and model · 689 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CVO
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N177JM · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.