Hard landing ends in plane hitting tree

The airplane owner reported that, during the flight, he was seated in the right seat, and the pilot flying was seated in the left seat.

The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with single-engine land and flight instructor ratings.

He added that the experimental amateur-built Zenith CH 701 had one throttle located on the far-left side of the cabin, one set of brakes located on the left rudder pedals, and nosewheel steering that was interconnected with the rudder pedals.

He further reported that the pilot started and taxied the airplane for takeoff, performed climbs, descents, and turns, and then landed.

During landing at the airport in Lusby, Maryland, the airplane was fast, touched down hard, and bounced about 20 to 25 feet.

The pilot then said, “Oh that’s all right I got it,” leveled the airplane, and continued the landing.

Subsequently, the plane porpoised, landed with the nose left of the runway centerline, veered off the runway to the left, and hit a tree.

The owner added that, during the landing, he told the pilot “nose down, right rudder,” and during the runway excursion, he yelled “brakes!”

He added that the pilot never reduced throttle to idle, and he never felt the application of brakes.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage.

The pilot’s lawyer reported that his client was not the pilot flying the airplane because he did not have previous training in the category, class, and type of aircraft.

Probable cause: The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing and runway excursion.

NTSB Identification: GAA18CA259

This May 2018 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.