Amateur-built KITFOX SERIES 7 N555HT accident near Plymouth, Massachusetts

Probable cause

The pilot's improper landing flare and subsequent inadequate recovery from a bounced landing.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that during the final approach he increased the airplane’s airspeed from 65 to 70 mph to compensate for light windshear. Upon touchdown, the airplane bounced twice, and the pilot increased engine power slightly to allow the airplane to settle on the main landing gear. After it settled, the nose landing gear collapsed, substantially damaging the firewall. The airplane came to rest upright on the runway. The pilot surmised that the second bounce must have separated the nose landing gear. A witness to the accident, who was a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, stated that the nose landing gear touched down first, followed by bounces with two or three more nosegear touchdowns, before the nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane came to rest. The recorded wind at the airport about the time of the accident indicated a left crosswind at 8 knots.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA13CA047 for the full record.