N347N – NICHOLSON DAVID F RV 9 – 2016-03-22 NTSB Accident Report

On March 22, 2016, a Nicholson David F RV 9 (N347N) was involved in an incident near Allison, IA. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's improper soft-field landing technique, which resulted in a nose landing gear collapse and a nose over.

The pilot reported that while landing on a grass airstrip, the nose landing gear "caught" on the soft turf and collapsed. The airplane slid about 60 feet, the forward portion of the fuselage impacted terrain, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, rudder, vertical stabilizer, and firewall.

The pilot verified that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

As a safety recommendation, the pilot reported to keep the nose landing gear off the ground longer during the landing.

This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA16CA154. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N347N.