Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during an aborted landing, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot was approaching the destination airport for landing. He described that while on final approach, the airplane crossed the runway numbers at an indicated airspeed of 88 knots with full flaps extended. During the landing roll, the pilot pitched the nose up to alleviate a “shaking” of the nose landing gear. The nose landing gear lifted from the runway, and the airplane then landed hard and bounced. The pilot applied full power and right rudder to abort the landing. The airplane lifted off but then descended back to the runway and veered left. The airplane exited the left side of the runway and the nose landing gear collapsed as the airplane traversed a taxiway. The airplane impacted rocks and came to rest next to a retention pond. The airplane’s wings and empennage sustained substantial damage during the accident sequence. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.