What happened
The pilot reported that during the landing phase on runway 25, the sun was positioned just above the horizon, shining directly down the length of the runway. This intense glare likely contributed to a misjudgment of the distance to the ground. Consequently, the aircraft landed hard on the nose gear.
Following the impact, the nose gear collapsed. The aircraft then veered off the runway and proceeded into a ditch, where it nosed over.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the circumstances surrounding the landing and the subsequent structural failure. Examination confirmed that the nose gear collapsed due to the hard landing. No other mechanical failures were identified as contributing factors prior to the impact.
Findings
The primary factor in this accident was the pilot's misjudgment of altitude during the final approach, exacerbated by sun glare. The direct sunlight shining down the runway obscured depth perception, leading to a hard touchdown that exceeded the structural limits of the landing gear.