Accident
On May 14, 2019, at about 1610 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 162 airplane (registration N5213Z) nosed over during landing on a private airstrip near Las Animas, Colorado. The pilot, the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries. The airplane's wings and empennage were substantially damaged. The flight was a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 and originated from the same airstrip at an unknown time.
A family member reported that the pilot attempted to land on the grass airstrip; the nose wheel caught on soggy river grass, causing the airplane to nose over. No other property was damaged. The pilot passed away more than 30 days after the accident, but the family member expressed the belief that the death was not a result of the accident, citing the pilot's pre-existing health issues.
Conditions
Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed. Weather recorded at La Junta Municipal Airport, about 1753, included wind variable at 3 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear sky, temperature 30°C, dew point -3°C, and altimeter 29.94 inches of mercury.
The private airstrip, based on Google Earth imagery, was approximately 1,000 feet long with a landing heading of about 143°. Photographs from the Bent County Sheriff's Office showed tall grass around the accident site and a linear ground scar consistent with nose landing gear contact with soft terrain.
Prior Incident
The pilot had experienced a previous nose-over accident at the same airstrip. On January 30, 2016, a tailwheel airplane (American Legend Aircraft Co. AL11C 100, N24184) nosed over during landing. According to the safety report, the pilot approached the private sod airstrip after recent rain, and the airplane nosed over upon main wheel contact with the soft surface.