Incident Overview
A pilot was practicing touch-and-go landings when the aircraft experienced a hard landing and nosed over. The airplane had a history of uncommanded flap retraction, but an airworthiness inspector had previously found no anomalies.
Sequence of Events
The first landing, using 20 degrees of flaps, was completed without incident. On the second approach, the pilot selected 30 degrees of flaps. During the approach, the airplane began to settle. The pilot responded by adding full power and pulling aft on the control yoke. The airplane landed hard and short of the runway. The pilot then closed the throttle. The airplane subsequently struck a dirt bank and nosed over.
Post-Incident Observations
As the pilot exited the airplane, he noticed that the flap indicator showed approximately 2 degrees. In a later interview with an FAA inspector, the pilot reported that no discrepancies were found with the flap system. He stated that it was likely he had inadvertently retracted the flaps during the landing attempt.