N6368E

On July 14, 1995, at 0938 central daylight time, a Cessna 172, N6368E, operated by Six Eight Echo, Inc., sustained substantial damage from fire, when the landing gear collapsed during landing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The private pilot reported minor injury and the pilot rated passenger reported serious injury. The personal, 14 CFR Part 91 flight originated in Marion, Iowa at 0915. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, who observed the accident, reported that he was in a different airplane, following the accident airplane in the pattern. He commented that the accident airplane "seemed quite high" when it was about 1/2 mile out on final approach. The airplane bounced on the nose gear and the gear collapsed. The airplane slid 375 feet and stopped 50 feet to the right of the runway centerline. A post impact fire ensued.

The pilot reported that he was flying a full stop landing to runway 27. When the airplane was about 50 feet above the runway, at an airspeed of 70 to 80 miles per hour, the airplane nosed down and impacted the runway. "The stall horn did not go off." He "felt it was an uncommanded nose down control input."

He flew a flight review flown from the left seat, five days after the accident. The review was "passed with no problem." He flew in the right seat and "everything repeated itself." The pilot stated that he was not aware of the "right seat condition" and could not remember being taught about it.

The FAA inspector who examined the wreckage reported no evidence of preimpact flight control malfunction.