N29096

On May 21, 1999, at 1400 central daylight time, a Cessna TU206C airplane, N29096, was substantially damaged following a loss of control while landing at a private airstrip near West, Texas. The airplane was registered to the Ram Aircraft Corporation of Waco, Texas, and operated by a private individual. The non-instrument rated private pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight and a flight plan was not filed. The local flight originated from the Waco Regional Airport, Waco, Texas, at 1350.

According to the 440 hour pilot, he was in a right traffic pattern for the 1,900 foot turf runway. The airplane was on final approach configured with 30 degrees of flaps for landing. Upon touchdown with the runway surface, the airplane "bounced slightly." The airplane then bounced again and the pilot advanced the throttle "half way." The airplane "pitched upward and then immediately down, impacting the ground nosewheel first." Subsequently, the nose landing gear separated from the airframe, and the airplane nosed over coming to rest inverted.

An FAA inspector examined the airplane at the site and stated that the horizontal stabilizer was structurally damaged and the right wing lift strut was damaged. Additionally, he confirmed that the nose landing gear separated from the airplane.