Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing and porpoise pilot induced oscillation.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The airplane landed hard and porpoised down the runway. On the third bounce, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane slid off the runway. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane.
Source record
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the approach and the landing flare were normal. He said the main landing gear touched down first, and as the airplane's nose landing gear made contact with the runway, the airplane "jerked" upward. The pilot lowered the nose, and after the airplane touched down again, it bounced upward again. When the airplane landed for a third time, the nose landing gear collapsed, causing structural damage to the composite airplane. The airplane departed the runway where it came to rest upright in the dirt. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector interviewed the pilot. The pilot stated that he did not feel anything "unusual in the flight controls or in [their] response," the weather was not a factor, and there were no other outside distractions during the landing.