NTSB Factual Report

On September 5, 2014, about 1550 eastern daylight time, a Gallager Glasair I TD, N4PX, was substantially damaged while landing at Cuyahoga County Airport (KCGF), Highland Heights, Ohio. The pilot, the sole occupant on board, was not injured. The airplane had a pending registration and was being operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The cross-country flight originated from Danbury Municipal Airport (KDXR), Danbury, Connecticut, about 1311, and was en route to KCGF before continuing on to Farmington Hills, Michigan.

According to the pilot's accident report, the airplane landed hard on runway 24, bounced, touched down and bounced again, then veered left off the runway and ground looped. He reported no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane prior to or during the accident. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors, there was extensive damage to the composite fuselage and wings. The pilot reported the landing gear, wheels, wingtips, and propeller blades to be damaged, along with dented skin and small punctured holes in the skin.

The pilot reported he had accrued 396 total flight hours, of which 3 hours were in the airplane make and model.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot’s loss of aircraft control during landing, and his failure to maintain directional control.