Event GAA17CA515

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that during landing, the airplane touched down and bounced. He aborted the landing, but the airplane did not climb although the engine was operating at full power. The airplane veered to the right and became momentarily airborne as it exited the runway. The airplane struck the ground hard and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and the empennage. The METAR at the accident airport during the time of the accident reported that the wind was calm, and skies were clear. The temperature was 99°F and the altimeter setting was 30.12. The field elevation was 4,130ft. The density altitude was 7,753ft. Three days prior to the accident, the pilot had requested that a maintenance shop examine the airplane engine's performance. The pilot had expressed concern for a rough running engine when operating about 1,000 RPM. The maintenance shop performed a visual inspection, a run-up check, and a magneto drop check. The airplane was returned to the pilot with the assertion that there were no anomalies or malfunctions found. The pilot reported that, during landing, the airplane touched down and bounced. He aborted the landing, but the airplane did not climb although the engine was operating at full power. The airplane veered to the right and became momentarily airborne as it exited the runway. The airplane struck the ground hard and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and the empennage. The METAR at the time of the accident reported that the wind was calm and that skies were clear. The temperature was 99°F, and the altimeter setting was 30.12 inches of mercury. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Landing flare-Not attained/maintained - C
• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
• — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Temp/humidity/pressure-High density altitude-Effect on operation
• — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Temp/humidity/pressure-High temperature-Effect on operation