Accident Sequence
The pilot and his passenger departed from the pilot's home airport for a brief personal flight. About 10 minutes later, the pilot returned to the airport traffic area and entered the traffic pattern. During the landing attempt, the airplane bounced after its initial touchdown, bounced several more times, ground looped, and veered off the runway. The left wing was substantially damaged.
Pilot's Reports
In an initial telephone interview with the NTSB, the pilot reported that there "was a crosswind, with some gusting" and that the airplane bounced after the first touchdown. He stated that he did not experience any mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane. In a subsequent written statement, the pilot reported that while on the downwind leg, the controller asked him to "keep [the] pattern short" because his airplane was slow and another airplane was behind him. The pilot said he landed close behind a Cessna 182 that had just departed. He was uncertain whether the bounces and loss of control were due to the wind or to the wake turbulence from the departing airplane.
Weather Information
The automated weather observation at the airport, posted about 2 minutes before the accident, included "variable" winds at 4 knots.
Additional Information
The pilot did not report any mechanical issues with the airplane. The exact cause of the bounces and loss of control remains undetermined based on the pilot's uncertainty.