Primary finding
Probable cause
the pilot's excessive taxi speed. A factor in the accident was the wet grass runway.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The private pilot landed on the wet grass airstrip, completed the landing roll, and began to taxi back to the runway for takeoff. The runway sloped down slightly, and as he applied the brakes and rudder to turn the airplane to the right, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane became inverted. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or difficulties with the airplane.
Source record
Factual narrative
On July 15, 1994, at 1510 central daylight time, a Piper PA-22, N8512C, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during taxi on an private airstrip near Harvard, Illinois. The pilot was not injured. The personal flight originated in Big Foot, Wisconsin. No flight plan was filed, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. In a written statement, the pilot reported that he had landed on the wet grass airstrip, completed the landing roll, and began to taxi back to the runway at an estimated five to ten MPH for takeoff. The runway sloped down slightly, and as he applied the brakes and rudder to turn the airplane to the right, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane became inverted. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunction or difficulties with the airplane. -