GLASAIR 1

Full Narrative

The flight was the pilot's initial flight in the airplane make and model. The pilot reported that during the landing there was no forward visibility. About 10 ft above the runway, he was unable to arrest the descent rate even with the control stick full back. The airplane touched down hard and the pilot added power for a go-around. He felt the airplane accelerate and he maintained a level attitude; however, the airplane began an uncommanded left roll. The pilot could not regain control of the airplane and reduced power to idle prior to the airplane touching down a second time, this time off the edge of the runway. The main landing gear dug into the soft ground and the airplane spun around backward. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage during the landing.Prior to the flight, the pilot adjusted the linkage of the elevator to match design specifications. During the flight he tested the stall characteristics of the airplane. Each time, the airplane stalled around 40 knots. At the time of the accident, the pilot reported the airplane was around 60 knots. The circumstances are consistent with the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during a go-around following a hard landing. There were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.