Accident Overview
On March 28, 2009, at approximately 2118 mountain daylight time, a Cessna R172K airplane, registration N736CL, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during landing on runway 32 at Mercer County Regional Airport (HZE), near Hazen, North Dakota. The pilot and a pilot-rated passenger reported no injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was on file. The flight, conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight, had departed Searle Field Airport (OGA) near Ogallala, Nebraska, and was destined for HZE.
Pilot Report
The pilot stated in his accident report that he had departed earlier from Amarillo, Texas (KAMA), where snow, water, and slush were present on the taxiways. He landed at OGA for fuel and then continued to HZE. Upon arriving at Hazen, he flew the traffic pattern, noting light and variable winds with clear skies. After a normal approach and touchdown near the south end of runway 32, the rollout began near the center of the runway. When he applied brakes, the aircraft veered to the left. He was able to straighten the airplane using the left wheel against a snowbank running just off the left edge of the runway, with the right wheel and nose wheel remaining on the runway. He could not bring the left wheel back onto the runway and was unable to stop. As the aircraft slowed, the left wheel entered the snowbank, pulling the aircraft until it stopped and nosed over in the snow. The pilot suspected the right brake may have frozen at KAMA, reporting that the aircraft acted as though the right brake did not operate properly.
Weather Conditions
At 2052, the recorded weather at Bismarck Municipal Airport, near Bismarck, North Dakota, was: wind 310 degrees at 5 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, sky clear, temperature -1 degrees Celsius, dew point -4 degrees Celsius, and altimeter 29.83 inches of mercury.
Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration Inspector examined the accident airplane. The examination revealed no anomalies with the braking system.