ERA24LA196

The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane entered the base leg of the traffic pattern at the destination airport and stated that the airplane was “a little high,” so he increased the flap setting to descend. He continued to descend and while over the runway, “pulled back to bleed off airspeed.” The ground was closer than the pilot expected and the airplane bounced during the subsequent landing. The pilot continued the landing, lost directional control, and the airplane bounced again. He attempted to abort the landing, using rudder input to try and regain directional control, but the airplane veered off the runway to the left. The pilot’s attempts to gain altitude were unsuccessful due to the flaps still being fully extended, and when he determined he would not be able to clear the approaching tree line, he reduced power to idle and initiated a landing in the grass preceding the trees. He was unable to stop the airplane before it impacted the trees, resulting in substantial damage to both of the airplane’s wings. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.