Background
The owner/pilot had recently purchased the airplane. Another pilot, who had delivered the airplane to the new owner, flew with him on two occasions. The delivering pilot observed that the owner/pilot was about 20 knots fast on final approach and had a tendency to flare late for landing. At the time of the accident, the pilot had accumulated an estimated 9 hours in the accident airplane since purchasing it.
Accident Sequence
During the accident flight, the pilot entered the traffic pattern at night and configured the airplane for landing. During the landing, the airplane touched down (bounced) nosewheel first and began to porpoise. Following the second bounce, the airplane pitched nose up, and the pilot initiated a go-around; however, the airplane bounced a third time, and the cabin door popped open. The right front seat passenger attempted to hold the door closed as the pilot continued the go-around. After the third bounce, the airplane remained airborne about 6 to 15 feet until it collided with trees beyond the departure end of the runway; then it came to rest inverted.
Weight and Balance
Examination of the engines, propellers, and flight controls revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. Calculations showed that at the time of the accident, the gross weight was 192 pounds over the maximum limit, and the center-of-gravity (CG) was 1.56 inches behind the aft limit. Also, the Pilot's Operating Handbook/Flight Manual indicated that the performance would be reduced with the cabin door open.
Conclusion
The airplane porpoised during landing, the cabin door opened, and the subsequent go-around resulted in the airplane colliding with trees. The aircraft was overweight and had an aft CG, and performance was degraded with the door open.