Primary finding
Probable cause
Failure of the pilot to maintain control of the airplane during the landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing roll, he felt a shimmy in the front of the airplane. He pulled back on the yoke to lighten the weight on the nose. The shimmy didn’t reduce, so he pulled the yoke back further, which caused the airplane to porpoise and land hard. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the floor and fuselage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.