Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain pitch control during the landing roll, which resulted in a porpoise.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing roll, "all of a sudden the plane started ballooning up from a strong gust of wind, I lowered the nose of the airplane slightly as to avoid a stall." He reported that, "I was then forced back to the ground violently and once again ballooned up" and that the airplane, "ballooned up and was forced down 5 times." Once the porpoising ceased, the pilot taxied off the runway without further incident. A post flight inspection revealed substantial damage to the underside of the fuselage, the firewall, and the floor boards underneath the rudder pedals. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Source record
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing roll, "all of a sudden the plane started ballooning up from a strong gust of wind, I lowered the nose of the airplane slightly as to avoid a stall." He reported that, "I was then forced back to the ground violently and once again ballooned up" and that the airplane, "ballooned up and was forced down 5 times." Once the porpoising ceased, the pilot taxied off the runway without further incident. A post flight inspection revealed substantial damage to the underside of the fuselage, the firewall, and the floor boards underneath the rudder pedals. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.