On March 6, 1994, a Cessna 175A (registration N6995E) was involved in an aviation accident near Stanley, ID. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN THE PROPER DESCENT RATE. FACTORS INCLUDE DOWNDRAFTS ON FINAL APPROACH. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During short final to a 2,100-foot airstrip, the aircraft encountered a downdraft over a river, leading to an increased descent rate. A hard three-point landing sheared the nose gear fork, causing a bounce, then a second touchdown on main gear, and finally a nose-over when the nose gear strut dug into soft earth.
Incident Sequence
While on short final approach to a 2,100-foot-long airstrip, the aircraft entered a downdraft as it passed over a river. The rate of descent increased during the downdraft and continued to the point of touchdown. The aircraft then experienced a very hard three-point landing, during which the nose gear fork sheared from the strut. The impact caused the aircraft to bounce back into the air. It touched down a second time, landing on the main landing gear only. When the pilot subsequently lowered the nose gear to the runway, the nose gear strut dug into the soft earth, causing the aircraft to nose over.
Damage
The nose gear fork sheared from the strut during the initial hard landing. The nose gear strut dug into the ground during the final landing sequence. The aircraft nosed over as a result.