What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Powered clider was over the rwy when the it "ballooned", the pilot nosed the acft over to gain airspeed, but the acft was running out of rwy. The pilot forced the acft down to avoid a fence. (.19)on October 24, 1998, about 1530 central daylight time, a peter strojnik S2A amateur built aircraft landed hard at coastal airport, Pensacola, Florida, while on a title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage and the private pilot was not injured. The flight originated form Pensacola, Florida, the same day, about 1500. The pilot reported to an FAA inspector that as he flared for landing the aircraft ballooned. He nosed it over to regain airspeed and noticed that he was running out of runway. He forced the aircraft onto the runway touching down hard. (.4) the pilot approached for landing in the motor glider without engine power. As he flared for landing he encountered what he described as either a wind gust or thermal which cause the aircraft to climb to about 40 feet. He pushed the aircraft's nose down to regain airspeed and then noticed he was running out of runway. He forced the aircraft onto the runway, landing hard. (-23) pilot steven centers attempted landing on runway 36 at coastal airport Pensacola, FL. Pilot stated he was rounding out at approximately 20-25 feet AGL when aircraft suddenly ballooned high. Pilot nosed down to gain speed but realized he was nearly out of runway. Pilot forced aircraft on runwayto avoid hitting a fence which was in flight path. The landing gear was pushed up into the wheel well, boom from fuselage to tail sustained downward fracture. The right wing snapped at connection between center to outboard, also broke rib that connection is attached to. Recommend operations personnel administer 44709 evaluation ride.
As the FAA filed it
POWERED CLIDER WAS OVER THE RWY WHEN THE IT "BALLOONED", THE PILOT NOSED THE ACFT OVER TO GAIN AIRSPEED, BUT THE ACFT WAS RUNNING OUT OF RWY. THE PILOT FORCED THE ACFT DOWN TO AVOID A FENCE. (.19)ON OCTOBER 24, 1998, ABOUT 1530 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PETER STROJNIK S2A AMATEUR BUILT AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD AT COASTAL AIRPORT, PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, WHILE ON A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FORM PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, THE SAME DAY, ABOUT 1500. THE PILOT REPORTED TO AN FAA INSPECTOR THAT AS HE FLARED FOR LANDING THE AIRCRAFT BALLOONED. HE NOSED IT OVER TO REGAIN AIRSPEED AND NOTICED THAT HE WAS RUNNING OUT OF RUNWAY. HE FORCED THE AIRCRAFT ONTO THE RUNWAY TOUCHING DOWN HARD. (.4) THE PILOT APPROACHED FOR LANDING IN THE MOTOR GLIDER WITHOUT ENGINE POWER. AS HE FLARED FOR LANDING HE ENCOUNTERED WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS EITHER A WIND GUST OR THERMAL WHICH CAUSE THE AIRCRAFT TO CLIMB TO ABOUT 40 FEET. HE PUSHED THE AIRCRAFT'S NOSE DOWN TO REGAIN AIRSPEED AND THEN NOTICED HE WAS RUNNING OUT OF RUNWAY. HE FORCED THE AIRCRAFT ONTO THE RUNWAY, LANDING HARD. (-23) PILOT STEVEN CENTERS ATTEMPTED LANDING ON RUNWAY 36 AT COASTAL AIRPORT PENSACOLA, FL. PILOT STATED HE WAS ROUNDING OUT AT APPROXIMATELY 20-25 FEET AGL WHEN AIRCRAFT SUDDENLY BALLOONED HIGH. PILOT NOSED DOWN TO GAIN SPEED BUT REALIZED HE WAS NEARLY OUT OF RUNWAY. PILOT FORCED AIRCRAFT ON RUNWAYTO AVOID HITTING A FENCE WHICH WAS IN FLIGHT PATH. THE LANDING GEAR WAS PUSHED UP INTO THE WHEEL WELL, BOOM FROM FUSELAGE TO TAIL SUSTAINED DOWNWARD FRACTURE. THE RIGHT WING SNAPPED AT CONNECTION BETWEEN CENTER TO OUTBOARD, ALSO BROKE RIB THAT CONNECTION IS ATTACHED TO. RECOMMEND OPERATIONS PERSONNEL ADMINISTER 44709 EVALUATION RIDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.