What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 10th 2025 at 1110 hours, RV-7 aircraft was flying from T51 to dhw which is an approximate 5 minute flight to go into a maintenance shop for a scheduled pre-purchase inspection. The weather was clear with no wind issues. Upon landing, the pilot misjudged his height causing the aircraft to come in high which caused the pilot to flare too high and the aircraft ran out of airspeed before the pilot could add throttle and adjust. This caused the aircraft to drop quickly resulting in a hard bounce. Upon coming down on the second hard bounce, the nose landing gear collapsed causing the aircraft to slide on the nose. The pilot using rudder steering directed the aircraft onto the center grass area versus to slide down the runway to avoid more severe damage and fire risk.
The aircraft was lifted and towed to a maintenance hangar ramp. An interview with the pilot was conducted at the scene. An inspection of the aircraft was performed. After inspection, it was determined that while there was substantial damage to parts of the aircraft, this would be categorized as an incident and not and accident. The reason for this is per 49 CFR 8030.2, the parts which were damaged (propeller blades,
Landing gear, wing tip and fairings) are not considered substantial damage for the purpose of this part. There was no structural damage noted on firewall, fuselage or wings.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 10TH 2025 AT 1110 HOURS, RV-7 AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING FROM T51 TO DHW WHICH IS AN APPROXIMATE 5 MINUTE FLIGHT TO GO INTO A MAINTENANCE SHOP FOR A SCHEDULED PRE-PURCHASE INSPECTION. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR WITH NO WIND ISSUES. UPON LANDING, THE PILOT MISJUDGED HIS HEIGHT CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO COME IN HIGH WHICH CAUSED THE PILOT TO FLARE TOO HIGH AND THE AIRCRAFT RAN OUT OF AIRSPEED BEFORE THE PILOT COULD ADD THROTTLE AND ADJUST. THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO DROP QUICKLY RESULTING IN A HARD BOUNCE. UPON COMING DOWN ON THE SECOND HARD BOUNCE, THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO SLIDE ON THE NOSE. THE PILOT USING RUDDER STEERING DIRECTED THE AIRCRAFT ONTO THE CENTER GRASS AREA VERSUS TO SLIDE DOWN THE RUNWAY TO AVOID MORE SEVERE DAMAGE AND FIRE RISK.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED AND TOWED TO A MAINTENANCE HANGAR RAMP. AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTED AT THE SCENE. AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS PERFORMED. AFTER INSPECTION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WHILE THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO PARTS OF THE AIRCRAFT, THIS WOULD BE CATEGORIZED AS AN INCIDENT AND NOT AND ACCIDENT. THE REASON FOR THIS IS PER 49 CFR 8030.2, THE PARTS WHICH WERE DAMAGED (PROPELLER BLADES,
LANDING GEAR, WING TIP AND FAIRINGS) ARE NOT CONSIDERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS PART. THERE WAS NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE NOTED ON FIREWALL, FUSELAGE OR WINGS.