Cessna 177 N29334

Summary

On 29 June 2020 at about 18:34 local time, a Cessna 177 registered N29334 was involved in an accident near Pittsfield, Massachusetts, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 June 2020 at 18:34

Classification

Accident

Location

Pittsfield, Massachusetts, United States

Nearest airport

Pittsfield Muni (PSF)

Coordinates

42.4275, -73.2908

Aircraft

Cessna 177

Registration

N29334

Category

Airplane

Year built

1968

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Towanda → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA20CA242

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing, and substantial damage to the airplane’s fuselage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

As the pilot approached the destination airport he noted a thunderstorm cell in the vicinity as he entered the airport traffic pattern. During the subsequent landing the airplane, “…hit and porpoised twice.” The pilot further described that as the landing continued, he was losing control, and the airplane was drifting to the left side of the runway, so he initiated a go around and joined the traffic pattern for another landing. The second landing was normal, and he taxied to the ramp. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuselage structure was substantially damaged during the first landing. Review of the weather conditions that prevailed at the time of the accident indicated that the pilot landed with right quartering crosswind. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot further stated that he should have been less rushed to land and should have extended the downwind for landing as he did after the go around, to a safe, less rushed landing and tie down.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.