Landing flare high results in damage to landing gear and excursion from runway.

Attributes
ACN	268920
Time
Date	199404
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ftw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 710 msl bound upper : 710
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 367 flight time type : 15
ASRS Report	268920
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Short flight was made form saginaw airport to meacham field. Conditions were clear, wind was 020 degree/3-5. Traffic was very light. Tower offered option of straight in landing on 16L or on 34R as other traffic was using. Tower also advised that wind at the moment was negligible. I opted for the straight in 16L runway. Approach was normal. I flared too soon lost airspeed and bounced hard on the runway. A gust of wind caught the tail and shifted it to the west. The next bounce damaged the right strut and the plane headed into the grass beside the runway. The right wingtip touched the ground and the plane tipped over on its nose and bent the propeller. No injuries occurred. Damage to the plane was not major. The FAA declared this to be an incident and not an accident and released the plane to be moved to the FBO hanger. Primary cause: early flare on landing - pilot error probable. Contributing factor: downwind and crosswind landing in tailwheel aircraft by low time pilot.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG FLARE HIGH RESULTS IN DAMAGE TO LNDG GEAR AND EXCURSION FROM RWY.

Narrative: SHORT FLT WAS MADE FORM SAGINAW ARPT TO MEACHAM FIELD. CONDITIONS WERE CLR, WIND WAS 020 DEG/3-5. TFC WAS VERY LIGHT. TWR OFFERED OPTION OF STRAIGHT IN LNDG ON 16L OR ON 34R AS OTHER TFC WAS USING. TWR ALSO ADVISED THAT WIND AT THE MOMENT WAS NEGLIGIBLE. I OPTED FOR THE STRAIGHT IN 16L RWY. APCH WAS NORMAL. I FLARED TOO SOON LOST AIRSPD AND BOUNCED HARD ON THE RWY. A GUST OF WIND CAUGHT THE TAIL AND SHIFTED IT TO THE W. THE NEXT BOUNCE DAMAGED THE R STRUT AND THE PLANE HEADED INTO THE GRASS BESIDE THE RWY. THE R WINGTIP TOUCHED THE GND AND THE PLANE TIPPED OVER ON ITS NOSE AND BENT THE PROP. NO INJURIES OCCURRED. DAMAGE TO THE PLANE WAS NOT MAJOR. THE FAA DECLARED THIS TO BE AN INCIDENT AND NOT AN ACCIDENT AND RELEASED THE PLANE TO BE MOVED TO THE FBO HANGER. PRIMARY CAUSE: EARLY FLARE ON LNDG - PLT ERROR PROBABLE. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR: DOWNWIND AND XWIND LNDG IN TAILWHEEL ACFT BY LOW TIME PLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.