N9097F

On August 30, 2002, at 1430 eastern daylight time, a John Barker experimental airplane, N9097F, registered to and operated by the pilot, nosed over inverted during landing at the Wakulla County airstrip in Panacea, Florida. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. The private pilot reported no injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight originated at Perry Foley Airport in Perry, Florida, about 1330.

The pilot stated he flew a normal approach to runway 18 at 70 knots. He stated the airplane touched down on the main landing gear at 60 knots, and when the nose wheel touched down, the airplane bounced three to four feet into the air. He stated the airplane touched down on the main landing gear again, and when the nose settled on the runway, the airplane immediately flipped inverted. The pilot stated the turf runway has a rough, bumpy surface.

Initial examination of the airplane revealed the nose wheel was separated, the vertical stabilizer and rudder sustained crush damage, and the propeller was damaged. The pilot stated the nose wheel was found about 60 feet from the fuselage near visible tracks in the turf where the main landing wheels initially touched down. The pilot stated the u-shaped aluminum bracket bolted to the nose wheel strut was found broken at the weld. Further examination by two welding experts revealed that the weld was "insufficient" on the shear points of the u-shaped aluminum bracket, and the weld had not completely penetrated the metal.