N759TA

On October 24, 1997, at 1300 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 182Q, N759TA, made a hard landing at an unnamed private dirt airstrip near Hamburg, California, and nosed over following collapse of the nose gear strut. The aircraft sustained substantial damage; however, neither the pilot nor his two passengers were injured. The aircraft was being operated as a personal flight by the Sundance Flying Club when the accident occurred. The flight originated in Willows, California, at 1100. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed.

The pilot said that he did not realize how rapidly the aircraft was descending until it was nearing touchdown. He added power but it was too late for him to prevent a hard landing. The aircraft bounced once on touchdown, then during rollout, the nose wheel separated and the oleo strut collapsed. The aircraft slid down the runway on the bottom of the engine cowling until the spinner dug into runway and the aircraft nosed over onto its back.

The pilot stated that he had previously made about 10 approaches to this strip before the accident in a Cessna 172; however, this was his first approach in a Cessna 182.

He indicated that he was somewhat fatigued and may not have been alert to the differences in the aircraft's approach performance.

High terrain at the approach end of the strip requires that the traffic pattern be entered from a close-in left base.