N64204Cessna 172P · 1981

The private pilot reported that he intended to make 2 full-stop landings before returning to his home base. The pilot entered the traffic pattern and announced his position as he maneuvered to final approach. The pilot stated that the approach was stable, but appeared to be short. He added power and adjusted the pitch for the projected touchdown point beyond the displaced threshold. When the airplane was over the displaced threshold, stability of the approach was lost. The pilot suspected a swirl of wind or updraft was encountered as the wing raised more than he expected from previous landings at this airport. The pilot tried to regain the runway centerline and level the wings, however he was unsuccessful. The pilot then made a radio transmission that he was going around. Power was applied and the flaps were raised (intention was 20o, however postaccident, the flap position was fully retracted). The airplane rolled to the left and contacted the ground; coming to rest inverted off the side of the runway.

The airplane was substantially damaged.

The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

The pilot reported that after a cross country flight an airspeed of 65 knots was maintained while on final approach. When the airplane touched-down the pilot thought the landing was hard “where I flared a bit too early and stalled...But there was a total unexpected bounce.” The pilot stated she verified the throttle was idle when the airplane touched down again and bounced a second time. The pilot continued to pull back on the yoke and the airplane touched down and bounced for a third time. After the third bounce the airplane touched down and came to a stop at the end of the runway. As the pilot was taxiing the airplane back to the parking area, she noticed that when the rudder was fully deflected to the right it made a clipping sound. When she exited the airplane, she examined the airplane and observed the propeller tips were bent. Post examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and fuselage. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions prior to the accident.

The student pilot was performing touch-and-go takeoffs and landings on his second supervised solo flight. Upon landing, the airplane landed hard, and bounced back into the air. The pilot added power, and released back pressure on the yoke, which resulted in the airplane impacting the runway on the nose landing gear. The fuselage and firewall were substantially damaged.