On 2 Aug 2016, a CESSNA 150 J was involved in an aviation accident near New Albany, MS. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain an appropriate pitch attitude during landing, which resulted in an initial nose wheel contact, followed by a nose gear collapse, and the airplane came to rest in a nose down position. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During landing, the nose wheel impacted the runway first, causing the axle to break. The airplane slid, bending the nose wheel strut and resulting in substantial firewall damage. No pre-impact mechanical failures were reported.
Incident
During the landing phase, the nose wheel of the airplane made initial contact with the runway surface. This impact caused the axle supporting the nose wheel to fracture. Following the axle failure, the airplane continued to slide along the runway. The forward momentum and contact with the runway resulted in the nose wheel strut becoming bent. The structural stress transmitted through the strut led to substantial damage to the airplane's firewall.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The sequence of events was described as the nose wheel impacting the runway first, followed by the axle breaking, and then the airplane sliding, which bent the nose wheel strut and damaged the firewall.
Damage Assessment
The damage to the firewall was classified as substantial, indicating significant structural impact. The bent nose wheel strut and broken axle were noted as key components affected during the landing sequence.