Amateur/Home Built/Experimental
Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 5; Flight Crew Total 236; Flight Crew Type 85
Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification
Ground Event / Encounter Ground Strike - Aircraft; Ground Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control; Ground Excursion Runway; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged
Aircraft; Human Factors
Upon entering right traffic for Runway XX due to proximity of trees on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern; I inadvertently stayed above the standard traffic pattern and approach altitudes. Upon base to final turn; my altitude remained higher than stable approach required. In an attempt to descend quickly; I deployed the speed brake to increase rate of descent on short final which steepened the descent but also increased the airspeed. Both sink rate and forward airspeed remained higher than required for stabilized approach resulting in hard landing involving both main gear and nose gear contacting the runway; and subsequent bounce. On second contact with the runway; the nose gear collapsed and aircraft slid down runway center. Ground observer later commented that after the initial bounce; the nose gear was turned perpendicular to direction of flight and created rapid oscillation upon second contact which likely over-stressed the nose gear attach point to the point of failure. The nose gear wedged under the forward fuselage at an angle and created a strong left-turning force. I attempted to assert directional control through differential braking but could not fully overcome the turning force. Aircraft departed runway approximately 1;000 feet from initial contact to the left; slid down embankment for approximately 100 feet and came to rest in the grass area. Occupant was evacuated immediately without injury; and no fuel and oil was spilled in the environment. Aircraft suffered moderate damage to the nose cone; left canard tip; and left winglet bottom in addition to the nose gear that was sheared off. The incident was preventable had I flew the standard traffic pattern; with standard approach to landing airspeed without the distractions from nearby trees and the psychological factor of the runway being shorter than I am used to but well within the demonstrated capability of both my previous flights in type and the aircraft performance. Additional practice and proficiency flights in type would also have likely contributed to prevention by increased confidence and experience in the type flown.
Experimental aircraft pilot reported unstabilized approach resulted in a hard landing resulting in aircraft damage and runway excursion.