CEN12LA333

The pilot's failure to maintain proper airspeed during the landing attempt, his failure to maintain directional control, and his delayed attempted aborted landing at an airspeed that was too low, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

The pilot was landing the airplane with excessive speed. The airplane touched down 2,200 feet down the 4,000-foot-long runway. When the tailwheel touched down, the airplane began to veer off of the runway. The pilot stated that the tailwheel became "squirrelly." The pilot added engine power while attempting to return to the runway surface. He then pitched the airplane's nose up to avoid an airport lighting aid at a speed that was too low to maintain flight. The airplane settled back to the ground and impacted the terrain. Postaccident examination of the tailwheel and flight controls revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

On May 31, 2012, at 1550 central daylight time, a Walters RV-8, N808WW, departed runway 33 and impacted terrain during an aborted landing at Hutchinson Municipal Airport-Butler Field (HCD), Hutchinson, Minnesota. The private pilot sustained serious injuries and the passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and the wing. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was destined for HCD. The pilot stated that the final approach to landing was normal and maybe a "little fast," at an airspeed of about 80 knots. He said that he maintained flight over the runway to bleed off speed. When the main landing gear touched, the airplane rolled out down the runway. He said that the tail "got squirrelly" when it touched down during the rollout. The airplane veered off the right side of the runway and he tried to return the airplane back to the runway. He added full engine power while attempting to return to the runway and noticed a bank of lights ahead. He "jerked" the control stick back in an attempt to get the airplane to fly. The airplane lifted off at a high pitch attitude, and as it was airborne, he tried three times to move the control stick forward. During the third control input on the control stick, the wing stalled and dipped. The airplane impacted the ground at a "very low" pitch attitude, cartwheeled, and came to rest on the landing gear. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the airplane touched down about 2,200 feet down runway 33 (4,000 feet by 75 feet, asphalt). The airplane veered off about 3,100 feet down runway 33. Examination of the tailwheel revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the flight controls confirmed flight control continuity.