Narrative:

Incident involved hitting nosewheel on landing, porpoising and resulted in bending nose gear, damaging propeller and sliding off runway. No injuries, no major damage other than propeller, nose gear, minor damage to cowl and possible engine damage due to propeller strike (to be determined). Cause of incident was attempting a landing with only 10 degrees of flaps. This was part of chkout with a CFI after purchasing the aircraft earlier in the week. Due to tight fit in cockpit it was difficult to smoothly engage the flaps. In order to avoid the problem of losing stability while engaging 20 degrees of flaps we decided to do 10 degree flap lndgs. We successfully completed 2 such lndgs at ZZZ1 airport but on this landing at ZZZ2 we hit the nose gear, bounced, began porpoising and bent the nose gear. It looks like the flaps fully deployed during this action, further adding to the difficulty in recovering. Probably should have made lndgs with 20 degrees of flaps, slower speed and less of a flat approach. Also, should have resolved problems with flap engagement rather than changing to a 10 degree flap approach, especially with 2 people aboard.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SONEX ACFT'S NEW OWNER AND A CFI INSTRUCTING THE OWNER MADE A FLAPS 10 DEG LNDG. THE PLT UNINTENTIONALLY LANDED ON THE NOSE GEAR, PORPOISING, BENDING THE NOSE STRUT AND STRIKING THE PROP.

Narrative: INCIDENT INVOLVED HITTING NOSEWHEEL ON LNDG, PORPOISING AND RESULTED IN BENDING NOSE GEAR, DAMAGING PROP AND SLIDING OFF RWY. NO INJURIES, NO MAJOR DAMAGE OTHER THAN PROP, NOSE GEAR, MINOR DAMAGE TO COWL AND POSSIBLE ENG DAMAGE DUE TO PROP STRIKE (TO BE DETERMINED). CAUSE OF INCIDENT WAS ATTEMPTING A LNDG WITH ONLY 10 DEGS OF FLAPS. THIS WAS PART OF CHKOUT WITH A CFI AFTER PURCHASING THE ACFT EARLIER IN THE WK. DUE TO TIGHT FIT IN COCKPIT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SMOOTHLY ENGAGE THE FLAPS. IN ORDER TO AVOID THE PROB OF LOSING STABILITY WHILE ENGAGING 20 DEGS OF FLAPS WE DECIDED TO DO 10 DEG FLAP LNDGS. WE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED 2 SUCH LNDGS AT ZZZ1 ARPT BUT ON THIS LNDG AT ZZZ2 WE HIT THE NOSE GEAR, BOUNCED, BEGAN PORPOISING AND BENT THE NOSE GEAR. IT LOOKS LIKE THE FLAPS FULLY DEPLOYED DURING THIS ACTION, FURTHER ADDING TO THE DIFFICULTY IN RECOVERING. PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE MADE LNDGS WITH 20 DEGS OF FLAPS, SLOWER SPD AND LESS OF A FLAT APCH. ALSO, SHOULD HAVE RESOLVED PROBS WITH FLAP ENGAGEMENT RATHER THAN CHANGING TO A 10 DEG FLAP APCH, ESPECIALLY WITH 2 PEOPLE ABOARD.

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.