N1535C

On October 14, 1996, at 1700 central daylight time (cdt), a Cessna 180, N1535C, operated by an airline transport pilot, sustained substantial damage when during landing, the airplane nosed over. Visual Meterorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The instructional flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The instructor pilot and dual student reported no injuries. The local flight originated at Forest Lake, Minnesota at 1400 cdt.

In his written statement, the instructor pilot said that the student pilot was attempting a landing on a grass strip with a right quartering headwind. The student pilot had a series of bounces on landing. The instructor pilot took control of the airplane, but was unable to keep the airplane from nosing over onto the propeller.

In his written statement, the student pilot said that on touchdown from a left hand traffic pattern, the airplane "bounced approximately 5 feet off of the runway surface two times until the tail wheel touched the runway." The instructor then took control of the airplane. The tail came up and continued to rise until the airplane was vertical on the propeller spinner. The airplane fell over to the left on its left wing tip, then settled on its nose and main gear with the tail in the air.

The Federal Aviation Administration Inspector (FAA) who examined the airplane at the site found damage to the left wing, left main landing gear, forward fuselage, propeller and spinner. The left wing tip was bent inward. The left wing was buckled outward on the top and lower surfaces. The left main landing gear was twisted and bent at the gear box. The cabin door lower hinge was pulled out at the rivets. The engine had moved aft approximately 8 inches bending the mounts and the firewall inward. The propeller displayed chordwise scratching and torsional bending. The spinner was bent inward. Flight control continuity was confirmed. Examination of the engine, engine controls and other airplane systems revealed no anomalies.