Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's improper flare and recovery from a bounced landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported that on his second landing approach in dark night conditions he observed that he was above the glide slope. As he approached the end of the runway, he "flattened out" his descent and landed flat, with all three tires hitting the runway simultaneously. The airplane subsequently bounced, and he "pushed in on the [control] yoke to get back down on the runway." The pilot stated that this made the second bounce worse than the first. He then tried unsuccessfully to pull back on the yoke to prevent the airplane from bouncing a third time. Because he feared another bounce would collapse the landing gear, he initiated a go-around by applying full power and beginning a gentle climb. He reported that the stall warning alerted at about 45 knots and that he "felt the left wing fall, which was followed by an impact with the ground." The airplane's left wing sustained substantial damage and there was no postcrash fire. The pilot reported no anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident.
Source record
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that on his second landing approach in dark night conditions, he observed that he was above the glide slope "..so I lowered the nose further to maintain glide slope. As we approached the end of the runway I flattened out my descent. I landed flat, with all three tires hitting the runway simultaneously. We [the airplane] bounced off the runway, which I had never experienced before. Unsure of what to do, I pushed in on the [control] yoke to get back down on the runway." The pilot stated that this made the second bounce worse than the first. He then tried to pull back on the yoke to prevent the airplane from bouncing a third time, "…but that didn't help. It actually made the third bounce more pronounced than the previous two." The pilot reported that he feared another bounce would collapse the landing gear, which prompted him to attempt a go-around. The pilot stated, "I applied full power and tried a gentle climb. With the stall warning blaring I glanced at the airspeed, which indicated about 45 knots. I knew a stall was inevitable, and I felt the left wing fall, which was followed by an impact with the ground." The airplane's left wing sustained substantial damage. There was no post crash fire. The pilot reported that there were no anomalies noted with the airplane prior to the accident.