Accident Overview
On September 3, 2023, at about 1900 central daylight time, a Van's Aircraft RV-12iS airplane, registration N321BT, sustained substantial damage during a landing accident near Crystal, Minnesota. The pilot sustained minor injuries; the passenger was not injured. The flight was operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Flight Details
The light-sport airplane departed from Major Gilbert Field Airport (4R5) in La Pointe, Wisconsin, around 1725, en route to Crystal Airport (MIC) in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Landing Sequence
During landing at MIC, the airplane touched down on runway 24R, a dry asphalt surface. The aircraft bounced two times. Subsequently, the nose gear collapsed, the propeller struck the ground, and the airplane came to rest upright on the runway in a nose-down attitude. The two occupants exited the airplane without further incident.
Damage Assessment
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage. A postaccident metallurgical examination of the fractured nose landing gear strut showed features consistent with ductile overstress fracture. No evidence of pre-existing damage to the strut was found.
Published Guidance
The Federal Aviation Administration's Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C) discusses bounced landings. It states that a bounce occurs when the airplane contacts the ground before the proper touchdown attitude is attained, almost invariably accompanied by excessive back-elevator pressure, often because the pilot realizes too late that the attitude is incorrect and attempts to correct it just as a second touchdown occurs.