Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot’s poor pitch control during an aborted takeoff which resulted in a hard landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported that while taxiing for a local night flight, he heard a slight noise that originated from the front of the airplane. When the stopped the airplane short of the runway, the noise stopped. During the takeoff roll, a louder noise occurred and shortly after the airplane lifted off the ground, the pilot elected to abort the takeoff and pitched nose down. The airplane contacted the runway and bounced multiple times, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. A postaccident examination conducted by maintenance personnel could not determine a reason for the noise. A flight instructor, who flew the airplane earlier in the day, reported that he heard a noise that he thought was coming from the nosewheel shimmy dampener. Except for the noise the pilot heard, he reported no other mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.