Incident Overview
A pilot reported that during a cross-country flight, he attempted to stabilize the airplane using the trim to compensate for his weight on the left side. While manipulating the wing leveler knob, it fell off. As he struggled to reattach and tighten it, he turned the knob to the left. This resulted in a left wing-down tendency that the pilot was unable to correct.
Landing Attempts
The pilot stated that when attempting to land at the destination airport, he needed full right-stick deflection and left rudder to maintain straight flight. After a low approach, he executed a go-around. On the second landing attempt, the airplane touched down hard and bounced, then veered off the left side of the runway.
Damage and Experience
The accident sequence caused substantial damage to the canard. The pilot reported that no mechanical failures or malfunctions occurred with the airframe or engine prior to the accident, except for the improperly safetied knob. The pilot had accumulated only 1.5 hours of flight time in the same make and model as the accident airplane.