What happened
The aircraft was involved in a ground incident following a practice landing attempt on a grass airstrip. The pilot initiated an approach that remained too high above the runway threshold. In an effort to correct the altitude, the pilot executed a steep descent profile. During this maneuver, the airspeed increased significantly, yet the decision was made to continue with the landing rather than go around.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft impacted the surface with excessive force. The initial impact caused the aircraft to bounce back into the air. When the aircraft returned to the ground on its second contact, it struck nose-first. The vertical load exceeded the structural limits of the landing gear assembly.
The investigation
Examination of the aircraft revealed that the nose landing gear had collapsed under the stress of the hard impact. Following the collapse, the aircraft slid along the grass surface and ultimately nosed over, coming to rest on its upper fuselage or wings depending on the specific geometry of the collapse.
Findings
The primary factor in this incident was the pilot's decision to continue a stabilized approach that had become unstable due to excessive altitude. The steep descent required to regain the glide path resulted in high sink rates and increased airspeed at touchdown. The subsequent hard landing and bounce placed undue stress on the nose gear, leading to its failure.
hard landing was the immediate mechanical cause of the damage. The nose gear failed structurally due to the vertical impact forces exceeding design limits. The incident highlights the risks associated with aggressive altitude corrections during final approach phases on unimproved surfaces.