What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 21, 2026, at 11:53, the pilot of privacy data omitted, a van's RV-7, failed to maintain control of the aircraft after a hard landing on runway 34 at Jaffrey airport (afn) in new hampshire. The initial impact with the runway caused the right main gear to bend perpendicular to the line of flight and resulted in subsequent wrinkling of the wing root skin. The left main gear was deformed outward and to the rear of its normal position. The passenger reported that his back was injured during this initial impact.
The hard landing caused the aircraft to bounce, from which the pilot attempted to recover by executing a go-around. Both the pilot and the passenger stated that the aircraft veered sharply to the left. The passenger clearly remembers the pilot stating, “something is broken.” the pilot attempted to correct but was unable to maintain the centerline or a stable pitch attitude. A witness on the ground stated that the aircraft pitched up and down and was not maintaining the centerline, as if the pilot was "not in control."
The aircraft veered sharply to the right, impacting the ground approximately 12 feet from a ditch (washout, as the runway is elevated). The forward motion of the aircraft caused the nose gear to go into the ditch, where it broke off. The impact with the ditch caused the aircraft to flip over, coming to rest inverted approximately 37 feet to the right side of runway 34.
The pilot and passenger were extracted from the aircraft and airlifted to a hospital in worcester, MA. Both sustained head and torso injuries but were conscious and speaking to rescuers.
An FAA examination of the aircraft found normal continuity of the flight and engine controls. Damage to the propeller indicated that the engine was running at the time of the event. The fuel selector was set to the right tank, which contained sufficient fuel.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 21, 2026, AT 11:53, THE PILOT OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A VAN'S RV-7, FAILED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER A HARD LANDING ON RUNWAY 34 AT JAFFREY AIRPORT (AFN) IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. THE INITIAL IMPACT WITH THE RUNWAY CAUSED THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR TO BEND PERPENDICULAR TO THE LINE OF FLIGHT AND RESULTED IN SUBSEQUENT WRINKLING OF THE WING ROOT SKIN. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS DEFORMED OUTWARD AND TO THE REAR OF ITS NORMAL POSITION. THE PASSENGER REPORTED THAT HIS BACK WAS INJURED DURING THIS INITIAL IMPACT.
THE HARD LANDING CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO BOUNCE, FROM WHICH THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RECOVER BY EXECUTING A GO-AROUND. BOTH THE PILOT AND THE PASSENGER STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT VEERED SHARPLY TO THE LEFT. THE PASSENGER CLEARLY REMEMBERS THE PILOT STATING, “SOMETHING IS BROKEN.” THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT BUT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN THE CENTERLINE OR A STABLE PITCH ATTITUDE. A WITNESS ON THE GROUND STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED UP AND DOWN AND WAS NOT MAINTAINING THE CENTERLINE, AS IF THE PILOT WAS "NOT IN CONTROL."
THE AIRCRAFT VEERED SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT, IMPACTING THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 12 FEET FROM A DITCH (WASHOUT, AS THE RUNWAY IS ELEVATED). THE FORWARD MOTION OF THE AIRCRAFT CAUSED THE NOSE GEAR TO GO INTO THE DITCH, WHERE IT BROKE OFF. THE IMPACT WITH THE DITCH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO FLIP OVER, COMING TO REST INVERTED APPROXIMATELY 37 FEET TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF RUNWAY 34.
THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE EXTRACTED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND AIRLIFTED TO A HOSPITAL IN WORCESTER, MA. BOTH SUSTAINED HEAD AND TORSO INJURIES BUT WERE CONSCIOUS AND SPEAKING TO RESCUERS.
AN FAA EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT FOUND NORMAL CONTINUITY OF THE FLIGHT AND ENGINE CONTROLS. DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SET TO THE RIGHT TANK, WHICH CONTAINED SUFFICIENT FUEL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.