Primary finding
Probable cause
A hidden soft spot on the runway that resulted in a nose over of the airplane during a landing roll.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
According to the pilot, the airplane nosed over during the landing roll on a sod airstrip. During roll out the nose wheel collided with a soft spot on the sod surface. Examination of the airstrip surface revealed a hidden soft spot beneath the grass in the vicinity where the airplane nosed over.
Source record
Factual narrative
On August 1, 1993, at 1330 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150, N6255R, landed long and nosed over on a sod airstrip near Wilmington, North Carolina. The personal flight operated under 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 pilot was not injured. The time the flight departed Wilmington was not determined. During the landing rollout, the nose wheel hit a soft spot in the runway surface and nosed over. Examination of the sod surface disclosed an undetectable soft section beneath the grass covering in the vicinity of the nose gear collision. -