What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was conducting his initial flight in the experimental aircraft. After initial climb out and making pattern altitude, he noticed high engine temperature. He throttled back and the temperature came down. On his first landing attempt he did not feel that he was as stable as he would like and conducted a go around. On climb out he noticed what appeared to be engine oil begin to appear on the windscreen which obscured his forward visibility. He also noted that the engine temp was high and the engine did not appear to be making as much power as before. He pulled the power back to cruise and leveled off prior to reaching pattern altitude.
Pilot radioed tower and stated that he needed to expediate his landing. Upon landing he felt that things were ok as he approached touchdown, but then several feet above the runway the aircraft stalled and dropped to the runway in a two point stance causing the aircraft to bounce in the air. He then tried to settle back down and bounced again. On the third attempt he believes he pulled back to FAR on the stick causing the tail to hit first. At this point he gave the engine full throttle to try to stabilize and climb out, the aircraft listed right and he was not able to recover. The aircraft contacted the ground and cartwheeled off the runway coming to rest upright on all three wheels. Fuel began to flow between his legs and he quickly unbuckled, opened the canopy and exited the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS CONDUCTING HIS INITIAL FLIGHT IN THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT. AFTER INITIAL CLIMB OUT AND MAKING PATTERN ALTITUDE, HE NOTICED HIGH ENGINE TEMPERATURE. HE THROTTLED BACK AND THE TEMPERATURE CAME DOWN. ON HIS FIRST LANDING ATTEMPT HE DID NOT FEEL THAT HE WAS AS STABLE AS HE WOULD LIKE AND CONDUCTED A GO AROUND. ON CLIMB OUT HE NOTICED WHAT APPEARED TO BE ENGINE OIL BEGIN TO APPEAR ON THE WINDSCREEN WHICH OBSCURED HIS FORWARD VISIBILITY. HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE ENGINE TEMP WAS HIGH AND THE ENGINE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE MAKING AS MUCH POWER AS BEFORE. HE PULLED THE POWER BACK TO CRUISE AND LEVELED OFF PRIOR TO REACHING PATTERN ALTITUDE.
PILOT RADIOED TOWER AND STATED THAT HE NEEDED TO EXPEDIATE HIS LANDING. UPON LANDING HE FELT THAT THINGS WERE OK AS HE APPROACHED TOUCHDOWN, BUT THEN SEVERAL FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AND DROPPED TO THE RUNWAY IN A TWO POINT STANCE CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO BOUNCE IN THE AIR. HE THEN TRIED TO SETTLE BACK DOWN AND BOUNCED AGAIN. ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT HE BELIEVES HE PULLED BACK TO FAR ON THE STICK CAUSING THE TAIL TO HIT FIRST. AT THIS POINT HE GAVE THE ENGINE FULL THROTTLE TO TRY TO STABILIZE AND CLIMB OUT, THE AIRCRAFT LISTED RIGHT AND HE WAS NOT ABLE TO RECOVER. THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE GROUND AND CARTWHEELED OFF THE RUNWAY COMING TO REST UPRIGHT ON ALL THREE WHEELS. FUEL BEGAN TO FLOW BETWEEN HIS LEGS AND HE QUICKLY UNBUCKLED, OPENED THE CANOPY AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.