What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot, who was the builder of the experimental single engine airplane, was making the first flight after having completed several high-speed taxi tests and ground runs of the engine. The pilot stated that shortly after becoming airborne and during the initial climb, he began to notice oil on the windshield. When he returned to the airport for landing the oil was reducing his forward visibility and he had difficulty judging his height above the ground. During the landing the airplane "touched down hard and bounced". On the second touchdown both main landing gear legs collapsed and penetrated through the top surfaces of the wings. The solo pilot was not injured. Four weeks after the accident the pilot said he believed the oil came from the crank breather valve. He explained that the had made the exit air opening in the cowl to small and it was pressurizing the cowling to the point it breather valve to open. Another contributing factor was the pilot's lack of experience in tailwheel and type of aircraft. At the time of the accident, the pilot had less than three hours of tailwheel time and one hour of specific aircraft make and model time. After the accident the pilot recived tailwhell training and recieved an tailwheel endorcement.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT, WHO WAS THE BUILDER OF THE EXPERIMENTAL SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE, WAS MAKING THE FIRST FLIGHT AFTER HAVING COMPLETED SEVERAL HIGH-SPEED TAXI TESTS AND GROUND RUNS OF THE ENGINE. THE PILOT STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE AND DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB, HE BEGAN TO NOTICE OIL ON THE WINDSHIELD. WHEN HE RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT FOR LANDING THE OIL WAS REDUCING HIS FORWARD VISIBILITY AND HE HAD DIFFICULTY JUDGING HIS HEIGHT ABOVE THE GROUND. DURING THE LANDING THE AIRPLANE "TOUCHED DOWN HARD AND BOUNCED". ON THE SECOND TOUCHDOWN BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR LEGS COLLAPSED AND PENETRATED THROUGH THE TOP SURFACES OF THE WINGS. THE SOLO PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. FOUR WEEKS AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT SAID HE BELIEVED THE OIL CAME FROM THE CRANK BREATHER VALVE. HE EXPLAINED THAT THE HAD MADE THE EXIT AIR OPENING IN THE COWL TO SMALL AND IT WAS PRESSURIZING THE COWLING TO THE POINT IT BREATHER VALVE TO OPEN.ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN TAILWHEEL AND TYPE OF AIRCRAFT. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT HAD LESS THAN THREE HOURS OF TAILWHEEL TIME AND ONE HOUR OF SPECIFIC AIRCRAFT MAKE AND MODEL TIME. AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT RECIVED TAILWHELL TRAINING AND RECIEVED AN TAILWHEEL ENDORCEMENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.