Narrative:

I was flying a normal approach into tnp runway 26. The winds were light and variable with possible gusts from the south. I held 75 KIAS until the runway was made, pulled the throttle to idle, and continued the landing. On initial touchdown of the main wheels, the elevator locked up (in almost the full aft position). At this point, I was carrying no extra airspeed. The airplane came back off the runway and I could not nose it over, as the elevator was still locked. The plane stalled and dropped like a rock back to the runway. This time all 3 tires crashed down, as well as the propeller striking the ground. The plane bounced down the runway until it finally settled. I was able to taxi the airplane clear of the active runway. On inspection, the airplane showed the following external damage: propeller bent back on both ends, nosewheel to one side, a few popped cowling screws, and the right side cowling was bent inwards. The gentleman running the FBO at the field believed part of the cause was dust devils, as a number were clearly visible at this time. As for the cause of the elevator lock-up, I have no explanation. I have replayed the landing over a million times in my mind, searching for pilot errors or adjustments I could have made to avoid the incident. The 2 major questions I'm left with are: 1) why did the control wheel and elevator lock up on initial touchdown of the mains? And 2) why did the airplane come back off the runway without any excess airspeed? Happily, there were no injuries as a result of this incident -- other than a bruised ego wondering what could have been done differently, if anything, to have avoided or lessened the damage to the airplane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT IN A C172 LOSES CTL OF ACFT WHEN LNDG. STATES THAT THE ELEVATOR CTL 'LOCKED UP' ON TOUCHDOWN. ACFT BECOMES AIRBORNE AND SETTLES BACK INTO A HARD LNDG. AN FBO OBSERVER SAYS THERE WERE DUST DEVILS AT THE ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A NORMAL APCH INTO TNP RWY 26. THE WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE WITH POSSIBLE GUSTS FROM THE S. I HELD 75 KIAS UNTIL THE RWY WAS MADE, PULLED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE, AND CONTINUED THE LNDG. ON INITIAL TOUCHDOWN OF THE MAIN WHEELS, THE ELEVATOR LOCKED UP (IN ALMOST THE FULL AFT POS). AT THIS POINT, I WAS CARRYING NO EXTRA AIRSPD. THE AIRPLANE CAME BACK OFF THE RWY AND I COULD NOT NOSE IT OVER, AS THE ELEVATOR WAS STILL LOCKED. THE PLANE STALLED AND DROPPED LIKE A ROCK BACK TO THE RWY. THIS TIME ALL 3 TIRES CRASHED DOWN, AS WELL AS THE PROP STRIKING THE GND. THE PLANE BOUNCED DOWN THE RWY UNTIL IT FINALLY SETTLED. I WAS ABLE TO TAXI THE AIRPLANE CLR OF THE ACTIVE RWY. ON INSPECTION, THE AIRPLANE SHOWED THE FOLLOWING EXTERNAL DAMAGE: PROP BENT BACK ON BOTH ENDS, NOSEWHEEL TO ONE SIDE, A FEW POPPED COWLING SCREWS, AND THE R SIDE COWLING WAS BENT INWARDS. THE GENTLEMAN RUNNING THE FBO AT THE FIELD BELIEVED PART OF THE CAUSE WAS DUST DEVILS, AS A NUMBER WERE CLRLY VISIBLE AT THIS TIME. AS FOR THE CAUSE OF THE ELEVATOR LOCK-UP, I HAVE NO EXPLANATION. I HAVE REPLAYED THE LNDG OVER A MILLION TIMES IN MY MIND, SEARCHING FOR PLT ERRORS OR ADJUSTMENTS I COULD HAVE MADE TO AVOID THE INCIDENT. THE 2 MAJOR QUESTIONS I'M LEFT WITH ARE: 1) WHY DID THE CTL WHEEL AND ELEVATOR LOCK UP ON INITIAL TOUCHDOWN OF THE MAINS? AND 2) WHY DID THE AIRPLANE COME BACK OFF THE RWY WITHOUT ANY EXCESS AIRSPD? HAPPILY, THERE WERE NO INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT -- OTHER THAN A BRUISED EGO WONDERING WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE DIFFERENTLY, IF ANYTHING, TO HAVE AVOIDED OR LESSENED THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE.

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.