What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 11th at approximately 11:15 am private rated pilot privacy data omitted departed becks grove (K16) on a local personal flight, with one passenger aboard. Before returning to hamilton airport (H30), he decided to visit Bates field, a private grass airstrip near Verona, NY. Decending from under 2000 feet MSL, they aligned up for base leg to the nw runway. Upon final approach with flaps at 40 degrees and slowing down from 70 mph, flared aircraft and touched down hard then bounced and landed hard again about 70 feet further down the airstrip and drifted into taller (6 to 9 inch) grass. Pilot decided to abort and applied full power to remain airborne. Once airborne, pilot noticed pilot and co-pilot doors were ajar. Pilot elected to return to home base of hamilton airport (H30). Upon landing at H30, pilot noticed aircraft taxiing slightly crooked and LH landing gear was bent outward. Further inspection found substantial structural damage to several tubular airframe members, and undercarriage damage to main landing gear. Flight control cables to elevator were also adversely affected from impact damage which occurred as a result of the hard landing at Bates field.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 11TH AT APPROXIMATELY 11:15 AM PRIVATE RATED PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED BECKS GROVE (K16) ON A LOCAL PERSONAL FLIGHT, WITH ONE PASSENGER ABOARD. BEFORE RETURNING TO HAMILTON AIRPORT (H30), HE DECIDED TO VISIT BATES FIELD, A PRIVATE GRASS AIRSTRIP NEAR VERONA, NY. DECENDING FROM UNDER 2000 FEET MSL, THEY ALIGNED UP FOR BASE LEG TO THE NW RUNWAY. UPON FINAL APPROACH WITH FLAPS AT 40 DEGREES AND SLOWING DOWN FROM 70 MPH, FLARED AIRCRAFT AND TOUCHED DOWN HARD THEN BOUNCED AND LANDED HARD AGAIN ABOUT 70 FEET FURTHER DOWN THE AIRSTRIP AND DRIFTED INTO TALLER (6 TO 9 INCH) GRASS. PILOT DECIDED TO ABORT AND APPLIED FULL POWER TO REMAIN AIRBORNE. ONCE AIRBORNE, PILOT NOTICED PILOT AND CO-PILOT DOORS WERE AJAR. PILOT ELECTED TO RETURN TO HOME BASE OF HAMILTON AIRPORT (H30). UPON LANDING AT H30, PILOT NOTICED AIRCRAFT TAXIING SLIGHTLY CROOKED AND LH LANDING GEAR WAS BENT OUTWARD. FURTHER INSPECTION FOUND SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO SEVERAL TUBULAR AIRFRAME MEMBERS, AND UNDERCARRIAGE DAMAGE TO MAIN LANDING GEAR. FLIGHT CONTROL CABLES TO ELEVATOR WERE ALSO ADVERSELY AFFECTED FROM IMPACT DAMAGE WHICH OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE HARD LANDING AT BATES FIELD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.