RV12 - final report - N321BT

[A2022]

well, it is reported the aircraft had two bounces and then broke the nose gear. a nose wheel bounce upon landing is a serious condition. don't fight it, just punch out with power for a go around. come around again and be sure to be on speed and never push forward on the stick for landing. it should always be gentle pulling aft...

https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/ ... 193009/pdf

The pilot was landing the light-sport airplane on the runway when it bounced two times. The nose gear collapsed, the propeller struck the ground, and the airplane came to rest upright on the runway in a nose-down attitude. The two occupants were able to exit the airplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage.

A post-accident metallurgical examination of the fractured nose landing gear strut revealed features consistent with ductile overstress fracture. There was no evidence of any pre-existing damage to the nose landing gear strut.

It is likely the pilot did not attain a proper landing flare, which resulted in the airplane bouncing twice and subsequently sustaining an overstress fracture of the nose landing strut.

Probable Cause and Findings
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing and an overstress fracture of the nose landing gear strut.