Amateur-built STARDUSTER SA-300 N2369 accident near Reklaw, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot’s improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a noseover.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that he was landing on a private grass airstrip and that the grass was wet from the previous night’s rain. He stated that the airstrip was not flat and had sections that rolled up and down. He added that the airplane touched down harder than usual, which caused the landing gear to spread outward on the wet grass. The engine’s propeller was then low enough to contact the rising terrain, and the airplane nosed over. A witness reported that the airplane bounced on the runway about three times before the airplane nosed over. The airplane came to rest in the inverted position, resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, top wings, and the engine firewall.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN13CA037 for the full record.