What happened
The pilot reported that after completing the initial landing, he attempted to retract the flaps. While focusing on the flap switch, which appeared to be stuck, the aircraft unexpectedly became airborne again. The pilot successfully re-landed the aircraft, but this second touchdown damaged the nose landing gear. Following the damage, the airplane porpoised and bounced twice more. On the third contact with the runway, the aircraft hit hard, causing the pilot to lose directional control. The airplane veered to the right off the runway and impacted trees.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical state of the flap system and the resulting structural damage. Examination confirmed that the nose landing gear was damaged during the initial re-landing attempt. The flap switch was noted to have appeared stuck during the operation, contributing to the unexpected gain in altitude during the flap retraction phase.
Findings
The sequence of events was driven by a mechanical anomaly in the flap control system. A stuck flap switch prevented normal retraction and caused an unintended climb. The subsequent bounces and hard landing exceeded the structural limits of the nose gear, leading to a loss of control. Directional control was lost due to the asymmetric forces generated by the hard impacts and the resulting gear failure.
Safety message
Pilots should be aware that mechanical failures in flight control systems can occur unexpectedly. Immediate recognition of abnormal aircraft behavior is critical to executing a safe go-around or preparing for a potential hard landing.