Nosewheel Separation During Landing Approach (N4203L)

What happened

The pilot reported that the aircraft was on final approach when the descent path became too low. As the aircraft neared the runway threshold, the nosewheel struck a flood control berm that stood approximately two feet high. The impact caused the nosewheel to separate from the aircraft structure.

Following the separation, the main landing gear touched down on the runway surface. The aircraft then nosed over and came to rest in an inverted position. The final resting place was located 150 feet east of the berm where the initial impact occurred. There were no reported mechanical problems with the aircraft prior to the event.

The investigation

The examination revealed that the nosewheel had separated from the aircraft during the landing sequence. The pilot attributed the incident to a low landing approach that resulted in the nosewheel striking the flood control berm short of the runway.