What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot's statementon the first leg of solo cross country. Flying out of bvy. Wind was from the west, so I planned on landing on runway 32. I had made my dual cross country to sfm and used that runway on that occasion. I approached sfm from the north so I could enter aleft pattern for 32. After entering the pattern I observed the wind sock pointing north. I changed my plan and decided to use runway 25 instead. The leaf-spring landing gear and the planes light weight make the sport prone to porpoise after a hard landing. I made two attempts with full flaps and could not get the plane to flair, going aroundeach time after initial contact. I have never been afraid to hit thethrotle and go around but I have never had to do it 3 times either. On the third attempt I landed hard again this time I did not begin the go around at once because I thought I could bring the plane back into ground effect by adding a little power but I didn't add power quick enough and the plane came down again on the front landing gear and itcrumpled and the nose and the prop went into the runnway.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT'S STATEMENTON THE FIRST LEG OF SOLO CROSS COUNTRY. FLYING OUT OF BVY. WIND WAS FROM THE WEST, SO I PLANNED ON LANDING ON RUNWAY 32. I HAD MADE MY DUAL CROSS COUNTRY TO SFM AND USED THAT RUNWAY ON THAT OCCASION. I APPROACHED SFM FROM THE NORTH SO I COULD ENTER ALEFT PATTERN FOR 32. AFTER ENTERING THE PATTERN I OBSERVED THE WIND SOCK POINTING NORTH. I CHANGED MY PLAN AND DECIDED TO USE RUNWAY 25 INSTEAD. THE LEAF-SPRING LANDING GEAR AND THE PLANES LIGHT WEIGHT MAKE THE SPORT PRONE TO PORPOISE AFTER A HARD LANDING. I MADE TWO ATTEMPTS WITH FULL FLAPS AND COULD NOT GET THE PLANE TO FLAIR, GOING AROUNDEACH TIME AFTER INITIAL CONTACT. I HAVE NEVER BEEN AFRAID TO HIT THETHROTLE AND GO AROUND BUT I HAVE NEVER HAD TO DO IT 3 TIMES EITHER. ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT I LANDED HARD AGAIN THIS TIME I DID NOT BEGIN THE GO AROUND AT ONCE BECAUSE I THOUGHT I COULD BRING THE PLANE BACK INTO GROUND EFFECT BY ADDING A LITTLE POWER BUT I DIDN'T ADD POWER QUICK ENOUGH AND THE PLANE CAME DOWN AGAIN ON THE FRONT LANDING GEAR AND ITCRUMPLED AND THE NOSE AND THE PROP WENT INTO THE RUNNWAY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.