What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot statement:
On Friday, October 5, 2018 at approximately 2310Z I took off from runway 18 at ktop (Topeka Billard) in CH2000 alarus N642AM. This was my first solo flight in this Aircraft make and model. (I successfully completed the insurance check ride with a CFI three days prior to that.) On the day of the incident, I was the only person on board of the Aircraft. After two touch-and-go landings at ktop, I got cleared by the Billard tower for departure to
The east. I flew to klwc (lawrence municipal) and made a full stop landing there. After having both fuel tanks topped off, I departed back for ktop. I arrived back into the ktop delta
Airspace at approximately 0100Z, after the civil twilight, and it was getting dark. The Billard tower was already closed. I reported my arrival on the tower frequency (118.7) 9 miles and 4
Miles out, then on left downwind, base, and final to RW18. Weather conditions were VFR. Topeka weather services reported wind direction 170 at 4 knots. No other traffic was present.
Pre-landing and landing checks were performed according to the check list. The approach was smooth and uneventful. The runway lights were manually set to medium intensity. I used
Partial flaps on the base leg and fully extended flaps on the final leg. I crossed the runway threshold at 65 kais, reduced power to idle and started the flare, at which moment the Aircraft
Abruptly sank. I tried to correct that by adding power but perhaps wasn't assertive or quick enough. The contact of the main gear with the runway was harder than I expected, making the
Aircraft bounce quite high up in the air in a nose-high and slightly to the left attitude. As the Aircraft started to drift off the runway center, my only option was to go around. With that in
Mind, I immediately applied full power, but probably due to the combination of the low airspeed with the high pitch attitude caused by the bounce, the Aircraft experienced a brief stall the nose pitched down and to the left of the runway. I attempted to apply the right rudder and level the wings, but did not have enough time to properly recover and ended up impacting
The grassy area east of runway 18 and west of runway 13. The Aircraft came to a stop facing east. Upon the impact, the nose gear got separated, and the propeller struck the ground.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT STATEMENT:
ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 2310Z I TOOK OFF FROM RUNWAY 18 AT KTOP (TOPEKA BILLARD) IN CH2000 ALARUS N642AM. THIS WAS MY FIRST SOLO FLIGHT IN THIS AIRCRAFT MAKE AND MODEL. (I SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE INSURANCE CHECK RIDE WITH A CFI THREE DAYS PRIOR TO THAT.) ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT, I WAS THE ONLY PERSON ON BOARD OF THE AIRCRAFT. AFTER TWO TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS AT KTOP, I GOT CLEARED BY THE BILLARD TOWER FOR DEPARTURE TO
THE EAST. I FLEW TO KLWC (LAWRENCE MUNICIPAL) AND MADE A FULL STOP LANDING THERE. AFTER HAVING BOTH FUEL TANKS TOPPED OFF, I DEPARTED BACK FOR KTOP. I ARRIVED BACK INTO THE KTOP DELTA
AIRSPACE AT APPROXIMATELY 0100Z, AFTER THE CIVIL TWILIGHT, AND IT WAS GETTING DARK. THE BILLARD TOWER WAS ALREADY CLOSED. I REPORTED MY ARRIVAL ON THE TOWER FREQUENCY (118.7) 9 MILES AND 4
MILES OUT, THEN ON LEFT DOWNWIND, BASE, AND FINAL TO RW18. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE VFR. TOPEKA WEATHER SERVICES REPORTED WIND DIRECTION 170 AT 4 KNOTS. NO OTHER TRAFFIC WAS PRESENT.
PRE-LANDING AND LANDING CHECKS WERE PERFORMED ACCORDING TO THE CHECK LIST. THE APPROACH WAS SMOOTH AND UNEVENTFUL. THE RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE MANUALLY SET TO MEDIUM INTENSITY. I USED
PARTIAL FLAPS ON THE BASE LEG AND FULLY EXTENDED FLAPS ON THE FINAL LEG. I CROSSED THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD AT 65 KAIS, REDUCED POWER TO IDLE AND STARTED THE FLARE, AT WHICH MOMENT THE AIRCRAFT
ABRUPTLY SANK. I TRIED TO CORRECT THAT BY ADDING POWER BUT PERHAPS WASN'T ASSERTIVE OR QUICK ENOUGH. THE CONTACT OF THE MAIN GEAR WITH THE RUNWAY WAS HARDER THAN I EXPECTED, MAKING THE
AIRCRAFT BOUNCE QUITE HIGH UP IN THE AIR IN A NOSE-HIGH AND SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT ATTITUDE. AS THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO DRIFT OFF THE RUNWAY CENTER, MY ONLY OPTION WAS TO GO AROUND. WITH THAT IN
MIND, I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED FULL POWER, BUT PROBABLY DUE TO THE COMBINATION OF THE LOW AIRSPEED WITH THE HIGH PITCH ATTITUDE CAUSED BY THE BOUNCE, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A BRIEF STALL THE NOSE PITCHED DOWN AND TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. I ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE RIGHT RUDDER AND LEVEL THE WINGS, BUT DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO PROPERLY RECOVER AND ENDED UP IMPACTING
THE GRASSY AREA EAST OF RUNWAY 18 AND WEST OF RUNWAY 13. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP FACING EAST. UPON THE IMPACT, THE NOSE GEAR GOT SEPARATED, AND THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.