The pilot reported that during landing at his private grass runway near Garland, North Carolina, the RV-6 “skipped” during the initial landing touchdown.
As the plane settled back to the runway, the nose gear collapsed, and the airplane nosed over.
According to the pilot, the grass was “soft.”
The vertical stabilizer sustained substantial damage.
The pilot reported that the nose gear failed during the landing.
According to an FAA Aviation Safety Inspector (ASI) who spoke with the pilot after the accident, the pilot reported to him that the airplane bounced during the landing touchdown and when the airplane settled back to the runway, the nose gear had been damaged and further sunk into the grass runway.
A photo provided by the FAA ASI showed an initial impact mark about 100′ prior to the location where the airplane nosed over. It is likely that the nose gear was damaged during the initial touchdown.
Probable cause: The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing on the grass runway.
NTSB Identification: GAA17CA028
This October 2016 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
