Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during the landing flare, which resulted in a loss of directional control, a runway excursion, and substantial damage to the airplane.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot explained that during the 20-minute flight, the weight-shift airplane was “in good working order with no known problems.” He completed his final approach, and at 2-3 feet above the runway surface, the left wing “stalled.” The airplane rotated to its left, the left main landing gear touched the surface, which rotated the airplane further left, and just after the nose landing gear touched down, the airplane departed the runway to its left about “55 degrees” off the runway heading. The pilot “applied full power” to clear the drainage swale to the airplane’s front but was unsuccessful. The airplane passed through the swale and rolled onto its left side which resulted in a serious injury to the pilot’s ankle and substantial damage to the wing structure. The pilot repeated that there were no pre-accident mechanical anomalies with his airplane that precluded normal operation.