Colorado Aviation Accidents & Incidents

On August 24, 1996, approximately 1110 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172H, N3782F, was substantially damaged during landing at Durango, Colorado. The private pilot and private pilot rated-passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan had been filed for the personal flight conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated at Scottsdale, Arizona, on August 24, 1996, approximately 0650 mountain standard time.

According to the pilot, Durango UNICOM reported the winds as "light and variable at 4 knots," and she was given the option of landing on either runway 02 or 20. She elected to land on runway 02. The pilot said that when she was on final approach, she deployed full flaps and slowed to 70 mph. As the airplane crossed over the runway threshold, she closed the throttle and flared for landing. The pilot said, "Instead of gliding, aircraft abruptly dropped approximately 2-3 feet onto runway. Aircraft bounced." In a telephone interview, the pilot said she suspected she flared too high and the airplane landed hard.

Aircraft damage consisted of a buckled firewall, bent nose gear assembly, and buckled floorboards and associated skin damage. the pilot's improper flaring of the airplane at too high an altitude, resulting in a hard landing.