Amateur/Home Built/Experimental
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 6; Flight Crew Total 800; Flight Crew Type 358
Training / Qualification; Workload; Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Ground Strike - Aircraft; Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; General Maintenance Action
Weather; Human Factors
This was the first time the pilot landed at this location. The pilot noticed earlier in the day that the right rudder was frayed. Although the pilot was accustomed to flying from the right side; he switched to the left to avoid any potential rudder pedal cable failures. Pilot was on short final when he reacted to a sudden wind shear. Pilot reacted improperly on the controls; confusing left with right side operation. The aircraft impacted hard bouncing once. The landing gear partially collapsed. The propeller struck the runway and both blades broke in half. There was no physical runway damage. After the aircraft stopped the pilot; unhurt; removed the debris from the runway and rolled the aircraft to a tie down and secured with rope.Preventative measures would have been to get more acclimatization with the not-usual side in more benign weather conditions and more familiar airports.
The reporter stated that his visual perception and muscle movements were inappropriate for piloting his aircraft from the right seat. The windshear was not excessive; his response to the aircraft's movement was insufficient to deal with the aircraft's state.
A Pipistrel Virus pilot decided to fly his aircraft from the right seat because a left seat frayed right rudder cable. During his first right seat landing he reacted improperly to a wind gust; lost control of the aircraft and damaged the landing gear and propeller.