What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Became airborne on high speed taxi test. Bounced landing. Airborne again. Made hard landing. Broke off nose gear. (.4)the pilot was cleared to runway 03 to perform a high speed taxi. He reportedly told the tower controller that 'if things feel right,' he would fly. The pilot said he attained approximately 80 miles per hour, 'pulled back slowly on the yoke and experienced a sudden nose pitch up. I must have pushed down on the yoke and the nose came down,' and the airplane struck the runway. The airplane began porpoising before striking the runway again and collapsing the nose landing gear. The airplane then skidded to a stop. The pilot said he had placed 90 pounds of lead ballast in the nose area to simulate the weight of a passenger. According to an FAA inspector, the ballast should have been placed in the passenger seat to correctly simulate a passenger on board. (-23)amateur-built, one-of-a-kind design aircraft. Pilot told FAA iic did not intend to fly. Pilot told NTSB differently. During a high spped taxi aircraft became airborne. Pilot attempted to land aircraft. Aircraft boun ced and became airbrone again, pilot corrected, aircraft landed hard on nose. Nose gear broke, aircraft slid 687 feet to a stop.
As the FAA filed it
BECAME AIRBORNE ON HIGH SPEED TAXI TEST. BOUNCED LANDING. AIRBORNE AGAIN. MADE HARD LANDING. BROKE OFF NOSE GEAR. (.4)THE PILOT WAS CLEARED TO RUNWAY 03 TO PERFORM A HIGH SPEED TAXI. HE REPORTEDLY TOLD THE TOWER CONTROLLER THAT 'IF THINGS FEEL RIGHT,' HE WOULD FLY. THE PILOT SAID HE ATTAINED APPROXIMATELY 80 MILES PER HOUR, 'PULLED BACK SLOWLY ON THE YOKE AND EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN NOSE PITCH UP. I MUST HAVE PUSHED DOWN ON THE YOKE AND THE NOSE CAME DOWN,' AND THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE BEGAN PORPOISING BEFORE STRIKING THE RUNWAY AGAIN AND COLLAPSING THE NOSE LANDING GEAR. THE AIRPLANE THEN SKIDDED TO A STOP. THE PILOT SAID HE HAD PLACED 90 POUNDS OF LEAD BALLAST IN THE NOSE AREA TO SIMULATE THE WEIGHT OF A PASSENGER. ACCORDING TO AN FAA INSPECTOR, THE BALLAST SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLACED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT TO CORRECTLY SIMULATE A PASSENGER ON BOARD. (-23)AMATEUR-BUILT, ONE-OF-A-KIND DESIGN AIRCRAFT. PILOT TOLD FAA IIC DID NOT INTEND TO FLY. PILOT TOLD NTSB DIFFERENTLY. DURING A HIGH SPPED TAXI AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE. PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND AIRCRAFT. AIRCRAFT BOUN CED AND BECAME AIRBRONE AGAIN, PILOT CORRECTED, AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD ON NOSE. NOSE GEAR BROKE, AIRCRAFT SLID 687 FEET TO A STOP.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.