What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Airman was practicing traffic pattern take-off and landings, starting at approximately 1420 local time, and was the sole occupant of the airplane. He did four or five take-off and landings. Airman stated that on the last approach and landing everything looked good, final approach was at 70-75 knots and the airplane was configured with full flaps. During the flare the pilot states that he observed birds over the runway and lowered the airplane nose causing the airplane to touchdown early. The touchdown was not very hard but the airplane started to porpoise about three times before the nose gear collapsed and the airplane slid off the runway onto the grass surface. A Cirrus representative stated that if landed flat on all three gear the aircraft could porpoise. The pilot reported that he was using runway 14 and that the wind was approximately 180 degrees; 6-7 knots, visibility greater than 10 miles and he filed an sfra flight plan. After exiting the airplane the pilot "could see the nose wheel broken and prop damaged". He reported that before the accident "everything appeared normal". (Aircraft condition)I asked if he had received training on recovery from a porpoise and he responded that during the porpoise he "thought he might have hit the propeller so he did not go around". I then described establishing a nose high landing attitude and letting the airplane touchdown without him trying to time the pitch inputs with the airplane oscillations and he seemed unaware of the technique. Pilot stated that he has attended FAA faast safety seminars within two to three months of the accident date but could not provide the exact dates.
As the FAA filed it
AIRMAN WAS PRACTICING TRAFFIC PATTERN TAKE-OFF AND LANDINGS, STARTING AT APPROXIMATELY 1420 LOCAL TIME, AND WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE. HE DID FOUR OR FIVE TAKE-OFF AND LANDINGS. AIRMAN STATED THAT ON THE LAST APPROACH AND LANDING EVERYTHING LOOKED GOOD, FINAL APPROACH WAS AT 70-75 KNOTS AND THE AIRPLANE WAS CONFIGURED WITH FULL FLAPS. DURING THE FLARE THE PILOT STATES THAT HE OBSERVED BIRDS OVER THE RUNWAY AND LOWERED THE AIRPLANE NOSE CAUSING THE AIRPLANE TO TOUCHDOWN EARLY. THE TOUCHDOWN WAS NOT VERY HARD BUT THE AIRPLANE STARTED TO PORPOISE ABOUT THREE TIMES BEFORE THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRPLANE SLID OFF THE RUNWAY ONTO THE GRASS SURFACE. A CIRRUS REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT IF LANDED FLAT ON ALL THREE GEAR THE AIRCRAFT COULD PORPOISE.THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS USING RUNWAY 14 AND THAT THE WIND WAS APPROXIMATELY 180 DEGREES; 6-7 KNOTS, VISIBILITY GREATER THAN 10 MILES AND HE FILED AN SFRA FLIGHT PLAN.AFTER EXITING THE AIRPLANE THE PILOT "COULD SEE THE NOSE WHEEL BROKEN AND PROP DAMAGED". HE REPORTED THAT BEFORE THE ACCIDENT "EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL". (AIRCRAFT CONDITION)I ASKED IF HE HAD RECEIVED TRAINING ON RECOVERY FROM A PORPOISE AND HE RESPONDED THAT DURING THE PORPOISE HE "THOUGHT HE MIGHT HAVE HIT THE PROPELLER SO HE DID NOT GO AROUND". I THEN DESCRIBED ESTABLISHING A NOSE HIGH LANDING ATTITUDE AND LETTING THE AIRPLANE TOUCHDOWN WITHOUT HIM TRYING TO TIME THE PITCH INPUTS WITH THE AIRPLANE OSCILLATIONS AND HE SEEMED UNAWARE OF THE TECHNIQUE.PILOT STATED THAT HE HAS ATTENDED FAA FAAST SAFETY SEMINARS WITHIN TWO TO THREE MONTHS OF THE ACCIDENT DATE BUT COULD NOT PROVIDE THE EXACT DATES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.