N105AT

On March 12, 1996, at 1630 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, N105AT, was substantially damaged following a loss of control and nose over during landing at the Baxley Municipal Airport in Baxley, Georgia. No injuries were incurred by the private pilot or his passenger in the accident. The aircraft was being operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight. The flight departed St. Petersburg, Florida, at about 1310.

The pilot stated that during the first landing attempt, he felt and heard the nose gear collapse, as the airplane touched down on the runway. At this point the pilot executed a go-around and established a traffic pattern for runway 26. While establishing the approach, the pilot realized that the nose gear had separated and the left rudder pedal was stuck on the floor, and he had no rudder control. On the second landing attempt he shut down the engine and the propeller stopped horizontally. The pilot held the nose off as long as possible. He stated that when the nose wheel touched down, the aircraft veered off the right side of the runway, and nosed over in the sod area next to the runway.

Examination of the airplane failed to disclose a mechanical problem, nor did the pilot report a mechanical problem with the airplane. According to the Fixed Base Operator, the winds were shifting between 300 and 010 degrees as the pilot was attempting the first landing.