What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 2/5/2025 a 1993 Lancair 360, privacy data omitted with 195 total airframe hours departed on a VFR flight from laconia new hampshire enroute to louisville Kentucky (bowman field). After about 3.5 hours of flying the pilot elected to stop around 1:30PM in Parkersburg, WV to refuel.
The pilot lined up with runway 03 and attempted to land with the proper clearance from the tower. The pilot stated “he was on a stable 3 deg glidepath and began a slight power reduction to slow below 85 KIAS. Upon reduction of power, I experanced a pitching up of the nose of the aircraft. My initial thought was an updraft. The runway appears to be on a slight bluff, and so I thought the problem was probably an updraft. I recovered with some pio (pilot induced oscillation), as I tried to recapture the glidepath and bring the aircraft down to the runway. Unable to salvage the landing, I went around.”
The pilot attempted to land on runway 03 again and stated he experienced the same nose high attitude when the power was being reduced below 85 KIAS. He stated he elected to go around again.
The pilot stated he then queried the tower of any possible local up drafts known to the tower. The tower advised they were not aware and offered runway 10. At the time of the incident the winds were reported at 060-080 @ 5-7 knots.
The pilot stated in the third attempt to land he also experienced pio which ultimately resulted in a hard landing on the runway. The aircraft departed the runway to the left (north) side where damage was sustained to the all three gear struts and the aircraft slid to a stop in the grass. The aircraft was removed from the grass the next day on 02/06/2025.
The pilot stated this was his first time flying a Lancair and this was his first landing in a lanceair.
As the FAA filed it
ON 2/5/2025 A 1993 LANCAIR 360, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WITH 195 TOTAL AIRFRAME HOURS DEPARTED ON A VFR FLIGHT FROM LACONIA NEW HAMPSHIRE ENROUTE TO LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY (BOWMAN FIELD). AFTER ABOUT 3.5 HOURS OF FLYING THE PILOT ELECTED TO STOP AROUND 1:30PM IN PARKERSBURG, WV TO REFUEL.
THE PILOT LINED UP WITH RUNWAY 03 AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND WITH THE PROPER CLEARANCE FROM THE TOWER. THE PILOT STATED “HE WAS ON A STABLE 3 DEG GLIDEPATH AND BEGAN A SLIGHT POWER REDUCTION TO SLOW BELOW 85 KIAS. UPON REDUCTION OF POWER, I EXPERANCED A PITCHING UP OF THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT. MY INITIAL THOUGHT WAS AN UPDRAFT. THE RUNWAY APPEARS TO BE ON A SLIGHT BLUFF, AND SO I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS PROBABLY AN UPDRAFT. I RECOVERED WITH SOME PIO (PILOT INDUCED OSCILLATION), AS I TRIED TO RECAPTURE THE GLIDEPATH AND BRING THE AIRCRAFT DOWN TO THE RUNWAY. UNABLE TO SALVAGE THE LANDING, I WENT AROUND.”
THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 03 AGAIN AND STATED HE EXPERIENCED THE SAME NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE WHEN THE POWER WAS BEING REDUCED BELOW 85 KIAS. HE STATED HE ELECTED TO GO AROUND AGAIN.
THE PILOT STATED HE THEN QUERIED THE TOWER OF ANY POSSIBLE LOCAL UP DRAFTS KNOWN TO THE TOWER. THE TOWER ADVISED THEY WERE NOT AWARE AND OFFERED RUNWAY 10. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT THE WINDS WERE REPORTED AT 060-080 @ 5-7 KNOTS.
THE PILOT STATED IN THE THIRD ATTEMPT TO LAND HE ALSO EXPERIENCED PIO WHICH ULTIMATELY RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING ON THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT (NORTH) SIDE WHERE DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED TO THE ALL THREE GEAR STRUTS AND THE AIRCRAFT SLID TO A STOP IN THE GRASS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE GRASS THE NEXT DAY ON 02/06/2025.
THE PILOT STATED THIS WAS HIS FIRST TIME FLYING A LANCAIR AND THIS WAS HIS FIRST LANDING IN A LANCEAIR.