N823T

On August 2, 1996, at 1115 central daylight time (cdt), a Beech V35B, operated by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when during landing the airplane touched down hard, bounced back into the air, and subsequently impacted on the runway. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. No flight plan was on file. The pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated at Crystal, Minnesota, at 1020 cdt.

The pilot stated that everything looked normal on final approach to landing. The final approach speed was 80 to 81 miles per hour. The pilot said she "touched down about one-third of the way down the runway - longer than normal." The airplane hit on the mains and bounced 30 feet back into the air. The pilots said that she did not know what happened next, only that the (airplane's) nose was down. The airplane struck the runway in a nose down attitude, then slid on the nose, coming to rest off the left side of the runway.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who examined the wreckage at the scene found the cowling and forward fuselage bent up and aft. The top of the firewall was bent inward. The bottom of the firewall was torn outward. The nose wheel was busted off and the gear strut was bent up and aft. The propeller tips were curled and the blades exhibited chordwise scratching. Five propeller strike marks were observed on the runway at the point where the nosewheel broke off. Flight control continuity was confirmed. No anomalies were found in the engine, engine controls or other aircraft systems.