The pilot was on a straight-in approach for landing at the airport in Hanford, California. During touchdown the Flight Design CTLS landed hard and bounced.
The pilot attempted to land the plane for the second time, however the airplanes nose dropped, resulting in a second bounce.
He made a decision to go around and added power. During the takeoff, the airplane bounced again and then lifted off.
The second landing attempt resulted in another hard landing. The pilot initiated another go-around and landed the airplane without further incident.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall.
In the section titled “RECOMMENDATION” in the NTSB Pilot/Operator Report, form 6120.1/2, the pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had more experience flying this type and model of an airplane.
The NTSB determines the probable cause as the pilot’s inadequate flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
NTSB Identification: WPR15CA093
This January 2015 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
I used to have a 182rg that always tried to land on the nose with no weight in the back. If you bounce for some reason instinct tells you to put the nose down to get the plane back on the ground. This leads to a second higher bounce and if you push the nose down again the higher fall with less airspeed can provide enough energy to damage the gear. The best thing to do if you feel a bounce is to pull back on the yolk to force the plane onto the mains and if necessary add a little power to soften the landing.