What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On September 5, 2008, at 20:00, experimental light sport aircraft, occupied by two persons was reported by witnesses to have initiated a touch and go, then climbed approx 30-50 ft, then power was reduced and aircraft descended and impacted the ground hard on the nose and right landing gear. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the frame tubes and booms, many of which were severed and/or bent. The right landing gear axle sheared and the tire swung aft and was on top of the right wing. The dual carburetors were disloged from their mount at impact, and the operator pedal assembly was bent backwards on the right side of the aircraft. All three composite propeller blades sustained rotational damage from contact with either the bent frames and or ground, and one blade was broken near the hub. The aircraft tail and wings sustained minor damage and remained intact. The pilot sustained minor injuries, and passenger sustained serious injuries.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2008, AT 20:00, EXPERIMENTAL LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT, OCCUPIED BY TWO PERSONS WAS REPORTED BY WITNESSES TO HAVE INITIATED A TOUCH AND GO, THEN CLIMBED APPROX 30-50 FT, THEN POWER WAS REDUCED AND AIRCRAFT DESCENDED AND IMPACTED THE GROUND HARD ON THE NOSE AND RIGHT LANDING GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FRAME TUBES AND BOOMS, MANY OF WHICH WERE SEVERED AND/OR BENT. THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR AXLE SHEARED AND THE TIRE SWUNG AFT AND WAS ON TOP OF THE RIGHT WING. THE DUAL CARBURETORS WERE DISLOGED FROM THEIR MOUNT AT IMPACT, AND THE OPERATOR PEDAL ASSEMBLY WAS BENT BACKWARDS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. ALL THREE COMPOSITE PROPELLER BLADES SUSTAINED ROTATIONAL DAMAGE FROM CONTACT WITH EITHER THE BENT FRAMES AND OR GROUND, AND ONE BLADE WAS BROKEN NEAR THE HUB. THE AIRCRAFT TAIL AND WINGS SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE AND REMAINED INTACT. THE PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.