N48031

On January 8, 2002, at about 1726 central standard time, a Cessna 170B, N48031, registered to the pilot, collided with the ground during an attempted landing at a private sod airstrip near Bellewood, Mississippi. The personal flight was operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was substantially damaged, and the commercial rated pilot received minor injuries. The flight's exact departure time from the private airstrip in Belzoni, Mississippi, was not determined.

The pilot established an approach to land on runway 12 at the private airstrip where he previously departed. During the attempted landing, the airplane touched down left and short of the runway surface. After colliding with the ground, the airplane moved along the ground, and the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane came to rest 30 feet left of the turf runway.

The pilot did not report a mechanical problem with the airplane during the flight. The post-accident examination of the airplane also failed to reveal a mechanical problem with the airplane. Examination of the accident site confirmed a ground collision several feet short of the runway. The wreckage examination also revealed structural damage to the airframe.