Incident Overview
A 603-hour private pilot, who also built the airplane, lost control during landing in gusty wind conditions. The pilot reported that on her first landing attempt, strong wind gusts caused the aircraft to balloon 50 feet during the flare. She applied power, regained alignment, and returned for a second approach to Runway 02.
Landing and Loss of Control
The second landing attempt resulted in a hard touchdown. Upon nose gear contact, the pilot experienced a severe shimmy. As the aircraft settled, she realized she had lost directional control. The airplane then turned sharply to the right, nosed over, and came to rest inverted.
Wind Conditions
At the time of the mishap, the wind was reported from 200 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 19 knots. The pilot noted that Unicom radio traffic indicated landing traffic was using Runway 20, but she mistakenly landed on Runway 02.
Pilot Report
In her NTSB Form 6120.1 statement, the pilot described the first approach: "I was getting strong wind gusts and about the time she flared the airplane, a strong wind gust shot me 50 feet in the air." She attributed the loss of control during the second landing to the tailwind and gusty conditions.
Aircraft Damage
The homebuilt airplane sustained structural damage during the nose-over and came to rest inverted.