What happened
The incident occurred during a solo training session focused on stop-and-go practice landings. The pilot was executing his third landing attempt in this sequence when the aircraft bounced upon initial touchdown. After rebounding into the air, the aircraft returned to the ground for a second impact.
During this phase of the landing roll, the pilot reported experiencing nose wheel shimmy, a vibration phenomenon common in tricycle-gear aircraft. In response to the instability, he applied rudder pressure and inadvertently stepped on the right brake pedal. This asymmetric braking action caused the aircraft to veer sharply off the runway surface. The force of the deviation resulted in the aircraft nosing over and coming to rest in an inverted position.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical state of the landing gear and the sequence of pilot inputs during the final approach and rollout. Examination confirmed that the nose wheel shimmy was a contributing factor to the loss of directional control. The unintentional application of the right brake was identified as the immediate cause of the veer off the paved surface.
Findings
The primary factors leading to the accident were the bounced landing and the subsequent pilot reaction to nose wheel shimmy. The combination of vertical oscillation and asymmetric braking prevented the aircraft from remaining on the runway centerline. The lack of corrective action to counteract the veer resulted in the structural failure and inversion of the airframe.