Hard landing. - NASA ASRS

Attributes
ACN	303277
Time
Date	199504
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : avx
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Cessna 310/T310C
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : go around landing other other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 131 flight time total : 1209 flight time type : 3
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

In a cessna 310Q, I experienced a harder than normal landing. Immediately I executed a go around and safely climbed to a safe altitude. At that point, looking at the left engine cowling and realizing it had opened on the aft end, I determined that both engines were operating normally and returned back to long beach airport. Upon exiting the aircraft at long beach and viewing underneath the left and right wing, I saw wrinkles in the skin. Therefore the aircraft would need a more thorough inspection. Hence notifying the operator. Human factor performance considerations: a misjudement on the approach and not reacting soon enough. The problem is that I fly into catalina airport many times a month and never experience any problem, but usually I am flying as an instructor. And this time I was flying not as an instructor, which I have done many times as well. But this time I misjudged the approach. In conclusion, I would like to state -- it was not an inability to control the aircraft, because I am very much comfortable in it. Or it was not because of 'lack of experience.' it was, in my opinion, now that I can situation and review it in my mind, a misjudgement on the final approach.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HARD LNDG.

Narrative: IN A CESSNA 310Q, I EXPERIENCED A HARDER THAN NORMAL LNDG. IMMEDIATELY I EXECUTED A GAR AND SAFELY CLBED TO A SAFE ALT. AT THAT POINT, LOOKING AT THE L ENG COWLING AND REALIZING IT HAD OPENED ON THE AFT END, I DETERMINED THAT BOTH ENGS WERE OPERATING NORMALLY AND RETURNED BACK TO LONG BEACH ARPT. UPON EXITING THE ACFT AT LONG BEACH AND VIEWING UNDERNEATH THE L AND R WING, I SAW WRINKLES IN THE SKIN. THEREFORE THE ACFT WOULD NEED A MORE THOROUGH INSPECTION. HENCE NOTIFYING THE OPERATOR. HUMAN FACTOR PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: A MISJUDEMENT ON THE APCH AND NOT REACTING SOON ENOUGH. THE PROB IS THAT I FLY INTO CATALINA ARPT MANY TIMES A MONTH AND NEVER EXPERIENCE ANY PROB, BUT USUALLY I AM FLYING AS AN INSTRUCTOR. AND THIS TIME I WAS FLYING NOT AS AN INSTRUCTOR, WHICH I HAVE DONE MANY TIMES AS WELL. BUT THIS TIME I MISJUDGED THE APCH. IN CONCLUSION, I WOULD LIKE TO STATE -- IT WAS NOT AN INABILITY TO CTL THE ACFT, BECAUSE I AM VERY MUCH COMFORTABLE IN IT. OR IT WAS NOT BECAUSE OF 'LACK OF EXPERIENCE.' IT WAS, IN MY OPINION, NOW THAT I CAN SIT AND REVIEW IT IN MY MIND, A MISJUDGEMENT ON THE FINAL APCH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.