Summary
On March 27, 1996, a Cessna 172 (N61546) was involved in an accident near Taplin, WV. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury, with 1 person uninjured out of 2 aboard. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's improper level off and recovery from a bounced landing.
On March 27, 1996, at 1200 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172, N61546, nosed over and came to rest inverted after the nose gear collapsed while landing at McDonald Field, in Taplin, West Virginia. The certificated private pilot reported minor injuries, and the one passenger reported no injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, no flight plan was filed. The local flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 and originated in Taplin, West Virginia, at approximately 1045 eastern standard time.
The pilot stated that the local flight proceeded normally until about 1150, when he prepared to land at a nearby airport.
This accident is documented in NTSB report IAD96LA054. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N61546.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the pilot's improper level off and recovery from a bounced landing.
Aircraft Information
Analysis
On March 27, 1996, at 1200 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172, N61546, nosed over and came to rest inverted after the nose gear collapsed while landing at McDonald Field, in Taplin, West Virginia. The certificated private pilot reported minor injuries, and the one passenger reported no injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, no flight plan was filed. The local flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 and originated in Taplin, West Virginia, at approximately 1045 eastern standard time.
The pilot stated that the local flight proceeded normally until about 1150, when he prepared to land at a nearby airport. He reported that as he "...reduced power and applied [carburetor] heat, the [carburetor] heat cable apparently separated from the heat control box...I decided to abort the landing...and headed back to McDonald."
The pilot reported that his approach to the turf runway was normal, but the airplane bounced "...two or three times..." during the landing. He stated that he "...decided not to go around, because I felt that the aircraft was in an unsafe condition...because of the inoperative [carburetor] heat." The pilot stated that on the third touchdown the nose gear collapsed, dug in, and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest inverted. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector stated that the nose wheel appeared to have failed and separated "...due to a very hard landing."
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# IAD96LA054