Incident Details
A pilot reported that while landing on a soft grass runway, the airplane bounced during touchdown. As the airplane settled back to the runway, the nose wheel contacted a soft spot in the turf, leading to the collapse of the nose landing gear.
Pilot Report
The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft Damage
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage as a result of the nose landing gear collapse.
Reference Material
The Federal Aviation Administration's Airplane Flying Handbook, FAA-H-8083-3A, includes a section titled "Soft Field Approach and Landing." The handbook advises that for soft or rough fields, touchdown should be made at the lowest possible airspeed with the airplane in a nose-high pitch attitude. For nose-wheel type airplanes, after the main wheels touch the surface, the pilot should hold sufficient back-elevator pressure to keep the nose wheel off the surface. Using back-elevator pressure and engine power, the pilot can control the rate at which the weight of the airplane is transferred from the wings to the wheels.