Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot became distracted and landed short of the runway. Contributing to the accident was the hole in the ground.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
When the airplane turned onto final approach for runway 13, the pilot noticed two rows of round cornstalk bales in front of him and this became a distraction. The airplane touched down short of the runway and after rolling about 50 feet, the nose wheel hit a hole in the ground and the airplane nosed over, buckling the firewall. The ground was soft from a previous rainfall.
Source record
Factual narrative
The pilot said that when he turned onto final approach for runway 13, he noticed two rows of round cornstalk bales in front of him and this became a distraction. The airplane touched down short of the runway and after rolling about 50 feet, the nose wheel hit a hole in the ground and the airplane nosed over.A Federal Aviation Administration inspector who went to the scene said the ground was soft from a previous rainfall. His examination of the airplane revealed the firewall was buckled.