On February 9, 1985, a Champion 7FC (registration N7507E) was involved in an aviation accident near Louisville, KY. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a solo cross-country flight, a student pilot returned to a snow-covered runway. The nosewheel broke through the snow crust, causing the nose strut to fail and the aircraft to nose over. The pilot reported ruts from other aircraft contributed to loss of directional control.
Accident Sequence
A student pilot departed from a snow-covered runway for a solo cross-country flight. Upon returning, the aircraft's nosewheel broke through the snow-crusted surface, causing the nose strut to collapse. The aircraft subsequently nosed over.
Pilot Statement
The pilot reported that ruts in the runway snow, created by other aircraft, caused the airplane to swerve to the left before the nose gear failure.
Component Failure
Examination found that the nose strut (part number 3-1055) failed above the nosewheel in the area of the oleo extension. Part of the fracture surface was rusted.