Incident Overview
A Cessna 172A operating from a rural dirt road experienced a loss of directional control during landing, resulting in the aircraft veering off the roadway and nosing over in an adjacent farm field. According to the pilot, the landing attempt was being made on a narrow dirt farm road measuring approximately 10 feet in width. The aircraft departed the road surface and entered a freshly plowed and irrigated tomato field, where the nose landing gear sank into the soft soil, causing the aircraft to nose over.
Aircraft Specifications
The operator's manual for the Cessna 172A specifies the main landing gear width as 7 feet 2 inches. This dimension is relevant to the narrow width of the intended landing surface.
Pilot Report
The pilot indicated that the dirt road used as an airstrip was approximately 10 feet wide, which is only about 2 feet 10 inches wider than the aircraft's main landing gear. The pilot did not provide further details regarding the approach or conditions.
Damage
The aircraft sustained damage as a result of nosing over in the soft field. Specific damage details were not provided in the source.