Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot misjudging the flare, and his loss of directional control during landing. The soft terrain was a factor.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On July 4, 2002, at 0930 eastern daylight time, a Beech A-23-23, N3545R, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when the nose landing gear collapsed during landing on runway 03 (5,000 feet by 100 feet, asphalt), at the Custer Airport, Monroe, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The local flight originated at an undetermined time.
The pilot reported that he was practicing takeoffs and landings when, on the fourth landing, "... [the pilot] must have flared [too] soon causing the airplane to bounce at touchdown." The airplane then went off the right side of the runway where, "the nosewheel dug into the terrain causing it to collapse and the airplane to go nose down."
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CHI02CA182