Narrative:

The approach was normal with about 1/2 flaps set with no or low power used as needed. There was a light left quartering headwind with no gusts. The flare was at a normal distance off the runway about 100 ft past the threshold marked with an '8.' touchdown was held off several seconds and touchdown was gentle. Upon touchdown; there was a single abnormal noise. It felt like a tire had gone flat. Soon after the noise was heard; the front end shook and lunged. It then appeared that there was a flat tire and something had broken. The aircraft lifted off the runway and stalled and began bouncing. When the aircraft stabilized on its mains there was just enough momentum and aileron control to taxi clear of the left side of the runway and then tipped forward on its nose; stopping at that point. If I were to speculate -- the day before while doing 10 lndgs in the pattern with my instructor; we noticed the idle engine RPM's were high. They were at 2400 RPM and the poh states 1400 RPM is what they should be at. We continued our landing without a problem but noticed on one landing we were still generating significant lift during landing roll. After we were done for the day; my instructor assured me he would lower the RPM's that day. The next day I did my preflight checklist but only used sound to verify idle. During final on my first flight of the day; the day of the incident; I noticed the RPM's were at 2400 RPM. This was my first solo in this model aircraft which is a very light motor glider. Also; my instructor was not present and I had 1/2 tank of fuel in 1 wing. I was flying about 200 pounds lighter than I had ever before. When I touched down; and I did not consider these speculations until days after the incident; the right main brake might have locked up due to being so light on its wheel and dragged also yawing me forward and left. The nosewheel may have come down harder because of the braking causing the nose to shake like I have never felt before. I was in an emergency situation. Pulled nose up to relieve nose pressure. Because of high idle RPM's and being very light; the ballooning was higher than what I have ever experienced and the bouncing was hard.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INEXPERIENCED PRIVATE PLT OF SAMBA XXL LIGHT SPORT ACFT LOSES CONTROL ON LNDG AND COLLAPSES NOSE GEAR DURING RESULTING RWY EXCURSION.

Narrative: THE APCH WAS NORMAL WITH ABOUT 1/2 FLAPS SET WITH NO OR LOW PWR USED AS NEEDED. THERE WAS A LIGHT LEFT QUARTERING HEADWIND WITH NO GUSTS. THE FLARE WAS AT A NORMAL DISTANCE OFF THE RWY ABOUT 100 FT PAST THE THRESHOLD MARKED WITH AN '8.' TOUCHDOWN WAS HELD OFF SEVERAL SECONDS AND TOUCHDOWN WAS GENTLE. UPON TOUCHDOWN; THERE WAS A SINGLE ABNORMAL NOISE. IT FELT LIKE A TIRE HAD GONE FLAT. SOON AFTER THE NOISE WAS HEARD; THE FRONT END SHOOK AND LUNGED. IT THEN APPEARED THAT THERE WAS A FLAT TIRE AND SOMETHING HAD BROKEN. THE ACFT LIFTED OFF THE RWY AND STALLED AND BEGAN BOUNCING. WHEN THE ACFT STABILIZED ON ITS MAINS THERE WAS JUST ENOUGH MOMENTUM AND AILERON CTL TO TAXI CLR OF THE L SIDE OF THE RWY AND THEN TIPPED FORWARD ON ITS NOSE; STOPPING AT THAT POINT. IF I WERE TO SPECULATE -- THE DAY BEFORE WHILE DOING 10 LNDGS IN THE PATTERN WITH MY INSTRUCTOR; WE NOTICED THE IDLE ENG RPM'S WERE HIGH. THEY WERE AT 2400 RPM AND THE POH STATES 1400 RPM IS WHAT THEY SHOULD BE AT. WE CONTINUED OUR LNDG WITHOUT A PROB BUT NOTICED ON ONE LNDG WE WERE STILL GENERATING SIGNIFICANT LIFT DURING LNDG ROLL. AFTER WE WERE DONE FOR THE DAY; MY INSTRUCTOR ASSURED ME HE WOULD LOWER THE RPM'S THAT DAY. THE NEXT DAY I DID MY PREFLT CHKLIST BUT ONLY USED SOUND TO VERIFY IDLE. DURING FINAL ON MY FIRST FLT OF THE DAY; THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT; I NOTICED THE RPM'S WERE AT 2400 RPM. THIS WAS MY FIRST SOLO IN THIS MODEL ACFT WHICH IS A VERY LIGHT MOTOR GLIDER. ALSO; MY INSTRUCTOR WAS NOT PRESENT AND I HAD 1/2 TANK OF FUEL IN 1 WING. I WAS FLYING ABOUT 200 LBS LIGHTER THAN I HAD EVER BEFORE. WHEN I TOUCHED DOWN; AND I DID NOT CONSIDER THESE SPECULATIONS UNTIL DAYS AFTER THE INCIDENT; THE R MAIN BRAKE MIGHT HAVE LOCKED UP DUE TO BEING SO LIGHT ON ITS WHEEL AND DRAGGED ALSO YAWING ME FORWARD AND L. THE NOSEWHEEL MAY HAVE COME DOWN HARDER BECAUSE OF THE BRAKING CAUSING THE NOSE TO SHAKE LIKE I HAVE NEVER FELT BEFORE. I WAS IN AN EMER SITUATION. PULLED NOSE UP TO RELIEVE NOSE PRESSURE. BECAUSE OF HIGH IDLE RPM'S AND BEING VERY LIGHT; THE BALLOONING WAS HIGHER THAN WHAT I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED AND THE BOUNCING WAS HARD.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.