Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot’s improper recovery from a bounced landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The sport pilot said that the landing flare was normal until the airplane suddenly touched down sooner than he expected. The airplane then bounced several times, landing nose first. The nose gear buckled, and the airplane slid about 75 feet to the right edge of the runway. The pilot reported that the nose gear and the firewall were both damaged. He also reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane or engine.
Source record
Factual narrative
The sport pilot said the landing flare was normal until the airplane suddenly touched down sooner than he expected. The airplane then bounced several times, nose first. The nose gear buckled and the airplane slid about 75 feet to the right edge of the runway. The pilot reported that the nose gear and the firewall were both damaged. He also reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane or engine.