NTSB Factual Report

On February 9, 2002, at 1402 mountain standard time, an experimental Conrad Pulsar 582, N3218N, landed hard, collapsing the nose landing gear, at Prescott, Arizona. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The student pilot and the second pilot, who held a commercial certificate, were not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal local flight departed Prescott about 1350. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.

The pilot stated that he had recently purchased the airplane and this was his first flight in it. He had the previous owner sitting in the right seat for the familiarization flight. The airplane had a single control stick mounted between the two seats, and he was the sole manipulator of the controls. He took off and intended to stay in the traffic patter to practice touch-and-go landings and reported that the winds were very gusty. He said that on the first landing he made a short approach that was too fast. He landed the airplane hard on the nose landing gear, which collapsed. The airplane slid across the runway before coming to rest. The pilot said he had about 100 hours total time in airplanes, primarily in the Cessna 182. This was his first flight in this type of airplane. The pilot was flying on a student pilot certificate with no endorsement for this type of airplane. The previous owner was a commercial pilot but not a certified flight instructor.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot failed to maintain landing reference speed and aircraft control. A factor was the gusty wind conditions.