What happened
The aircraft was observed making contact with a sod runway at an excessive rate of descent. Upon impact, the airplane bounced back into the air before descending again. During this second touchdown, both the left main landing gear and the nose wheel struck the ground simultaneously.
The force of the impact caused the nose wheel fork to fracture completely. As a result, the entire nose wheel assembly separated from the aircraft structure. Without support from the nose gear, the airplane continued to slide forward for approximately 24 feet along the runway surface.
During this uncontrolled slide, the aircraft rotated forward and nosed over, coming to rest on its back. The pilot later stated that the accident might have been prevented by maintaining a higher approach speed and avoiding the use of brakes during the initial touchdown phase.
Findings
The primary factor in this incident was the hard landing followed by a bounce. The separation of the nose gear was a direct mechanical consequence of the excessive vertical load applied to the nose landing gear assembly during the second impact. The pilot's admission suggests that improper speed management and premature braking contributed to the severity of the touchdown.
Safety message
Pilots should be aware that bouncing after a hard landing can significantly increase structural loads on the landing gear. Maintaining proper approach speeds and avoiding brake application until firmly on the ground are critical techniques for preventing loss of control and structural failure during landing operations.