What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Monday, July 30th, 2018, at approximately 1315 EST. privacy data omitted Attempted to land his experimental homebuilt powered glider, N608US, at GA18, Big Creek Airport. It was a sunny day with a few scattered clouds and calm winds, one passenger on board. On short final the aircraft was configured to land with the throttle at idle, speed brakes retracted and full flaps. The pilot recalls the aircraft being at normal approach speed, normal altitude and descent speed when he noticed the aircraft began descending at a much greater speed than normal approximately 10-20 feet off the ground. privacy data omitted Attempted to move the throttle forward to possibly "go around" but it was too late and the aircraft impacted the ground. The aircraft bounced to the left, and while still in the air, struck a bush with the left wing sending the aircraft into a counterclockwise spin. The aircraft came to rest approximately 530 feet from the initial impact, facing approximately 270 degrees from the approach heading. A review of the flight data recorder data revealed the aircraft was well above the stall speed at the time of the rapid descent.
As the FAA filed it
ON MONDAY, JULY 30TH, 2018, AT APPROXIMATELY 1315 EST. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ATTEMPTED TO LAND HIS EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT POWERED GLIDER, N608US, AT GA18, BIG CREEK AIRPORT. IT WAS A SUNNY DAY WITH A FEW SCATTERED CLOUDS AND CALM WINDS, ONE PASSENGER ON BOARD. ON SHORT FINAL THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONFIGURED TO LAND WITH THE THROTTLE AT IDLE, SPEED BRAKES RETRACTED AND FULL FLAPS. THE PILOT RECALLS THE AIRCRAFT BEING AT NORMAL APPROACH SPEED, NORMAL ALTITUDE AND DESCENT SPEED WHEN HE NOTICED THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN DESCENDING AT A MUCH GREATER SPEED THAN NORMAL APPROXIMATELY 10-20 FEET OFF THE GROUND. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE THROTTLE FORWARD TO POSSIBLY "GO AROUND" BUT IT WAS TOO LATE AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED TO THE LEFT, AND WHILE STILL IN THE AIR, STRUCK A BUSH WITH THE LEFT WING SENDING THE AIRCRAFT INTO A COUNTERCLOCKWISE SPIN. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 530 FEET FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT, FACING APPROXIMATELY 270 DEGREES FROM THE APPROACH HEADING. A REVIEW OF THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER DATA REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT WAS WELL ABOVE THE STALL SPEED AT THE TIME OF THE RAPID DESCENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.