What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
And had only recently been endorsed to fly it after nearly an hour sight seeing the pilot returned to Hood River. The winds were still roughly in the same direction, but instead of abating, they were now 18 g 25. The approach and landing seemed fine, but after setting down on the runway the wind gusted and the plane became airborne and the landed again this time rather hard and not quite aligned with the runway. The aircraft now entered a series of pilot induced oscillations. The pilot himself had never encountered pio's in his training so he just tried to ride it out, and eventually did. Shaken the pilot taxied back to the hangar and reported a hard landing. The engine and propeller seemed fine and there was just some winkling on a belly panel. Later when the mechanic was able to decowl the plane and take a closer look it was discovered that the firewall was seriously damaged and then this became a accident.
As the FAA filed it
AND HAD ONLY RECENTLY BEEN ENDORSED TO FLY IT AFTER NEARLY AN HOUR SIGHT SEEING THE PILOT RETURNED TO HOOD RIVER. THE WINDS WERE STILL ROUGHLY IN THE SAME DIRECTION, BUT INSTEAD OF ABATING, THEY WERE NOW 18 G 25. THE APPROACH AND LANDING SEEMED FINE, BUT AFTER SETTING DOWN ON THE RUNWAY THE WIND GUSTED AND THE PLANE BECAME AIRBORNE AND THE LANDED AGAIN THIS TIME RATHER HARD AND NOT QUITE ALIGNED WITH THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT NOW ENTERED A SERIES OF PILOT INDUCED OSCILLATIONS. THE PILOT HIMSELF HAD NEVER ENCOUNTERED PIO'S IN HIS TRAINING SO HE JUST TRIED TO RIDE IT OUT, AND EVENTUALLY DID. SHAKEN THE PILOT TAXIED BACK TO THE HANGAR AND REPORTED A HARD LANDING. THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER SEEMED FINE AND THERE WAS JUST SOME WINKLING ON A BELLY PANEL. LATER WHEN THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO DECOWL THE PLANE AND TAKE A CLOSER LOOK IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FIREWALL WAS SERIOUSLY DAMAGED AND THEN THIS BECAME A ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.