What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was practicing solo flight in the local area of kwvl. Pilot had gone out to the practice area for about 30 minutes then returned to do some traffic pattern work and landings. Pilot had completed roughly 4 touch and go runs and on the next attempt set up for a soft field landing. With full flaps and nose wheel high the aircraft came down on the main landing gear and began to porpoise during which the nose wheel came down hard and broke away from the nose strut followed by the nose strut and propeller blades impacting the runway. The aircraft then skidded to a stop on the runway. Scraping on the bottom of the aft fuselage and bottom rudder fairing indicate the aircraft angle of attack may have been high enough to have stalled prior to touchdown. There was no injury to the pilot.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS PRACTICING SOLO FLIGHT IN THE LOCAL AREA OF KWVL. PILOT HAD GONE OUT TO THE PRACTICE AREA FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES THEN RETURNED TO DO SOME TRAFFIC PATTERN WORK AND LANDINGS. PILOT HAD COMPLETED ROUGHLY 4 TOUCH AND GO RUNS AND ON THE NEXT ATTEMPT SET UP FOR A SOFT FIELD LANDING. WITH FULL FLAPS AND NOSE WHEEL HIGH THE AIRCRAFT CAME DOWN ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR AND BEGAN TO PORPOISE DURING WHICH THE NOSE WHEEL CAME DOWN HARD AND BROKE AWAY FROM THE NOSE STRUT FOLLOWED BY THE NOSE STRUT AND PROPELLER BLADES IMPACTING THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SKIDDED TO A STOP ON THE RUNWAY. SCRAPING ON THE BOTTOM OF THE AFT FUSELAGE AND BOTTOM RUDDER FAIRING INDICATE THE AIRCRAFT ANGLE OF ATTACK MAY HAVE BEEN HIGH ENOUGH TO HAVE STALLED PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN. THERE WAS NO INJURY TO THE PILOT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N9440D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.