Incident Summary
During a landing attempt, the airplane's nose wheel struck the terrain 9 inches below the runway surface. The impact sheared off the nose wheel, causing the airplane to nose over onto its back. The pilot had intended to land on the runway numbers, which are located at the approach end of the runway.
Runway and Terrain Characteristics
The terrain immediately before the runway threshold slopes upward. The runway itself has a minus 1.2% gradient (downhill toward the departure end). The runway numbers are positioned at the very start of the runway pavement.
Pilot Actions and Reported Conditions
The pilot reported encountering a strong downdraft during the approach, though surface winds were measured at only 10 knots. The pilot stated that he was planning to land on the numbers. However, the investigation found that the pilot failed to select the proper touchdown point and failed to adequately correct the situation when it became evident that the airplane was going to land short of the runway environment.
Damage
The nose wheel was sheared off during the impact. The airplane came to rest inverted on its back.