Accident Details
During landing, the airplane contacted the runway with excessive force, bounced, and then touched down again. On the second touchdown, the nose wheel separated from the strut, and the aircraft nosed over onto its back. Metallurgical examination of the nose wheel strut and forks indicated overstress fractures.
Findings
Cargo stored in the rear of the cabin was not secured. During the nose-over event, the unsecured cargo shifted and struck the back seat passenger, resulting in serious neck injuries. The cargo had been placed on top of the rear seatbelts, rendering them inaccessible to the aft occupant. The front seat passenger, who held a pilot rating, did not utilize the available lap belt or shoulder harness.