What is the cause of a ballooning landing error?

A ballooning landing error occurs primarily due to a rapid flare combined with excessive airspeed at the moment of touchdown. When the pilot executes a flare too quickly, the airplane’s nose is lifted prematurely. If the aircraft is still traveling at a higher speed, the lift generated by the wings can increase significantly, causing the aircraft to climb instead of settling onto the runway. This reaction leads to a "ballooning" effect where the aircraft rises unexpectedly instead of continuing to descend smoothly.

This dynamic is particularly critical to understand because a proper landing involves maintaining a controlled descent rate. If the flare is initiated too aggressively while still airborne, it can disrupt the landing profile and lead to an unsafe altitude for landing, increasing the risk of a hard or bounce landing.

The other options, while relevant to landing discussions, do not directly relate to the specific mechanics of ballooning. For instance, low altitude at touchdown, delayed landing gear deployment, and excessive downward pitch during approach may influence other aspects of landing performance but do not specifically contribute to the ballooning error in the same way that a rapid flare with excessive airspeed does.